The Bus Trip Day 2: The Library of St Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai

The bus only goes as far as the monastery. Anyone wishing to go up the mountain will need to hire a camel. So, here we are at St. Catherine’s. Those with laptops and glasses that don’t fog up from wearing a mask can zip to this report of the grand re-opening of the Monastery’s Library, which happened as recently as December 2017:

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/egypt-reopens-ancient-library-st-catherine-monastery

 People love to haggle over what is ‘oldest’, ‘biggest’; some people even haggle over what is ‘quietest’, ‘wisest’. Anyway, the Monastery’s website tells us that “When Egeria visited the Sinai in 383-384, she wrote approvingly of the way the monks read to her the scriptural accounts concerning the various events that had taken place there. Thus we can speak of manuscripts at Sinai in the fourth century. It is written of Saint John Climacus that, while living as a hermit, he spent much time in prayer and in the copying of books. This is evidence of manuscript production at Sinai in the sixth century. The library at the Holy Monastery of Sinai is thus the inheritor of texts and of traditions that date to the earliest years of a monastic presence in the Sinai. In earlier times, manuscripts were kept in three different places: in the north wall of the monastery, in the vicinity of the church, and in a central location where the texts were accessible.” 

It is time to take time, at work or at home, or both at the same time, to enjoy this 26 minute exploration of one of the world’s most revered theological libraries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89h5zS7FBMs 

You may also like to see some more about the digitization program, started in 2019: 

https://see.news/ancient-manuscripts-at-st-catherines-monastery-undergoes-digitization/ 

It was good to see Lynn Pryor’s pictures of Alexandria yesterday. Thanks Lynn! Anyone on the bus tour who has had actual, rather than just virtual, experience of any of the libraries on the tour is welcome to post their photographs, memories, and other responses as part this endeavour. All information is most welcome! 

Philip Harvey

Tour Guide