CONVENT OF ST. CATHARINE. 137 CHAPTER XIV. MOUNT SINAI. Convent of St. Catharine.-Sunrise.-Church of Justinian.-Greek Service in the Church.-The Sanctuary.-Chapel of the Burning Bush.-The Cemetery.-Gebel Mousa.-Ascent of the Mountain.-Monkish Legends. -Chapel of the Virgin.-Spring of Elijah.-Mohammed's Camel-track.— Gebel Mousa not the Sinai of Scripture.-Grounds of this Conclusion.Ascent of Suksafeh.-The True Sinai. THE Convent of St. Catharine lies, as may be perceived from the accompanying plate, in a very narrow valley, a prolongation of Wady er-Rahah. Indeed, the eastern mountain approaches to within sixty feet of the walls, while the building itself stands partly on the base of the western. The edifice is an irregular quadrangle, some 230 feet in breadth and 260 in length. The walls are strongly built of granite, and flanked by towers. The entrance to the building is a small window, as I have said, some thirty feet from the ground: the great door has been walled up for a long period. There is a garden gate, however, by which ladies are admitted, and which affords egress, also, to the inmates of the building by day. Within the quadrangle are contained the great church, a number of small chapels, and several courtyards laid out in beds of flowers, &c. Fronting on these yards are the chambers of the monks, some two hundred in number, built against the walls of the quadrangle. As I issued from my chamber door on Sunday morning (February 5th, 1843), the sun was just rising over a low hill that closes the head of the gorge in which the convent stands. His full splendour was soon thrown 138 CHURCH OF JUSTINIAN. GREEK SERVICE. upon the desolate hills around me. As Divine service was performed at an early hour, I took a hasty breakfast and descended to the church. It is strongly built, but not very large, though, on the whole, from its proportions and decorations, quite an imposing structure. It was built by Justinian, in the sixth century, but has been frequently repaired. It is divided into nave and aisles by two rows of plastered granite columns, which are surmounted with capitals of various designs. Along the aisles are ranges of wooden stalls, in which the monks stand and worship. The pavement is of marble, in various colours. The walls are hung with old paintings, none of them of any value. The ceiling is flat, painted green, and studded with golden stars; and many lamps, apparently of gold and silver, are suspended around the altar, and in other parts of the church. The altar, where the mass is performed, is enclosed by a screen, with three openings, of which the centre one is closed at bottom with gilded doors, and above by a soiled curtain. The service was long and tedious. In the first place, the Bible, preceded by two lighted tapers, was carried round the church, and all the worshippers bowed as it passed. Then came a priest, bearing the Host in like manner. He carried the chalice in his right hand, and the bread in a gilded urn on his head, supported by his left hand. The urn was surmounted by a cross adoined with precious stones-the ruby, the emerald, and the sapphire. All knelt and crossed themselves. Our aged French companion bowed reverently to the Host, and, indeed, joined very devoutly in the whole worship, although he had received a very repulsive answer from the orthodox Greeks to a meek inquiry which he put before the service as to its catholicity. In a few min |