Wadi Feiran

Wadi Feiran is Sinai's largest and widest wadi (river). It rises from the mountains around Saint Catherine's Monastery, at 2500 m above sea level.[1] It is important because according to Hebrew Scriptures' Rephidim, Moses struck a rock, creating a spring to provide people with drinking water.[2]

Wadi Feiran is an 81-mile (130 km) wadi on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Its upper reaches, around the Jebel Musa, are known as the Wadi el-Sheikh.[3] It empties into the Red Sea's Gulf of Suez 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Abu Zenima.[1]

Ptolemy identified the area as the site of Paran.[4] The nearby hill is the Tell Feiran.

Feiran Oasis

The Feiran Oasis, formerly known as El Hesweh, runs about 3 miles (4.8 km) of the length of the wadi, 28 miles (45 km) above its mouth.[4]

Bedouins of Sinai

The Bedouins, nomadic people who lived in goat tents[5] but now live in stone huts, traditionally offer their hospitality to guests at Wadi Feiran and the Feiran Oasis, near Mount Sinai. The Bedouin is generally honored to offer hospitality. They may offer tea, coffee and until as recent as 2003, may have felt obligated to slaughter an animal for the guest.[6] Werner Braun, a journalistic photographer, photographed the Bedouins at Wadi Ferian.[7][6]

Travel guides, however, advise visitors not to wear their welcome for these great hosts believe in a reasonable stay of three days: the first day for greeting, the second day for eating, and the third day for speaking. By the fourth morning, the visitor who is not on his way out is as welcome "as the spotted snake."[6] [8]

Pilgrims and interested tourists come here and to Saint Catherine's Monastery, nearby. For a time, a monk from St Catherine's also maintained a small church and farmstead at Wadi Feiran.[4][5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Zahran, M.A.; Willis, A.J. (March 14, 2013). The Vegetation of Egypt. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 285. ISBN 9789401580663. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  2. ↑ Berrett & al. (1996), p. 315.
  3. ↑ Berrett & al. (1996), p. 315–16.
  4. 1 2 3 Berrett & al. (1996), p. 316.
  5. 1 2 "Wadi Feiran". Bedawi. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 March, Michael (1996). Guide to Egypt. Davidson Titles, Inc. p. 27. ISBN 1-884756-42-5.
  7. ↑ "Photographers / Werner Braun". Photography in Jerusalem in memory of Tsadok Bassan. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  8. ↑ Richardson, Dan (2003). Egypt. Rough Guides. p. 735. ISBN 9781843530503. Retrieved 6 November 2016.

Bibliography

External references

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.