Downtown Los Angeles, circa 1983

Downtown Los Angeles, circa 1983
STMcC in downtown Los Angeles, circa 1983

Sunday, December 25, 2016

REVIEWING SOME REVIEWERS

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In Search Of THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD
by Robert Cornuke and David Halbrook
published: 2000

[This book review originally appeared at Amazon.com on 2004, May 6. It was the first review I wrote for that website.]
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I do quite a bit of reading with fairly critical eyes, and yet I don't hesitate to give IN SEARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD five stars. It is an exciting adventure story about a very significant subject. The evidence that Mr. Cornuke provides in support of his belief that Jabal al Lawz in Saudi Arabia is the REAL Mount Sinai is absolutely overwhelming. It is an excellent book that may very well challenge some of your previously held beliefs while it authenticates the historicity of the Bible's Old Testament.
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What I primarily wish to do here is to correct some remarks in three of the other online reviews which I suspect might confuse others: 
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"A READER FROM USA" states that Jabal al Lawz cannot be the real Mount Sinai because Colin Humphreys evidently claims in his book, 'The Miracles Of Exodus', that Mount Sinai had to have been a volcano (due to its burning, smoking peak, and its trembling.) Yes, that would be true, but only if one feels compelled to attribute natural phenomena to all of the miracles described in The Bible. If a person accepts that God is quite capable of transcending His own creation, then finding a "rational" explanation for every miracle is not necessary, and probably fruitless. Because the circumstances on Mount Sinai when Moses met there with God describes what we commonly associate with volcanic activity, it does not at all follow that Mount Sinai MUST have been a volcano. God may heal a person of cancer, but that DOES NOT mean that God MUST be a surgeon. 
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"WILLIAM E. THOMPSON" seems to be reviewing two of Cornuke's books simultaneously and that is bound to cause confusion for those unfamiliar with the other book. The statement that the explorers should have (admittedly) returned to the site for further investigation is in regards to Cornuke's 'In Search Of The Lost Mountains Of Noah', in which he relates his failure to locate Noah's Ark. Although Chapter Twenty-Six ('The Blood Of The Lamb') of that book is quite moving -- in which the sacrifice of a lamb is compared with the sacrificial act of Jesus -- I agree that the book ultimately should have been shelved until the author had legitimate evidence to offer. But that is no reason to avoid this superior book on the discovery of Mount Sinai. 
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In his review, "ABUJIFAN" far too easily dismisses the many indicators that point to Jabal al Lawz as the REAL Mount Sinai. He fails to address many of the historic landmarks that (coincidentally?!) happen to be in the same general location as the burnt Mountain, and also the coral reef that (conveniently) connects the lower tip of the Sinai Peninsula (across The Red Sea) with Saudi Arabia and the immediate area where all of these landmarks are found! He didn't mention the existence of the water-worn Split Rock (referenced in Exodus 17:5-6 and Isaiah 48:21 of The Bible) -- an astonishing find! And he dismisses the photograph of the (presumed) Golden Calf Altar as a pile of rocks that "look like many naturally-occurring formations all over Western Arabia." Well, I've lived in the Southwestern U.S. all of my life, and unless rocks form quite differently in Arabia than they do here, that formation is hardly naturally-occurring, and I find it incredible that a person with a degree in archaeology would make such a claim.
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And therein, I suspect, is the rub. Is this a case of "professional jealousy"? Would it bother a pedigreed archaeologist if a testosterone-laden explorer armed with just his wits and his Bible made one of the greatest discoveries in the archaeologist's own backyard? Well, I don't know the answer to that, but I DO KNOW that 'IN SEARCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF GOD: THE DISCOVERY OF THE REAL MOUNT SINAI' is a real page-turner and a Five Star book, doggone it! That's all I have to say. I'm gonna go climb back under my rock now and wait to see who finds me first, an archaeologist or an adventurer. 
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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9 comments:

  1. Some folks have to have an explanation for everything. When it comes to nature I'd rather believe what I see and leave it at that. If you are ever 'found' dear Reno, it would have to be by an adventurer - open heart and mind, right?
    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  2. HiHelloHowdy, DIEDRE ~
    Sorry I didn't get a chance to respond yesterday -- 12.5 hour work shift.

    This is nice. I've gotten my first comment on a review at this new blog. I anticipate there'll be more, but you've broken new ground here!

    I hope you will enjoy some of the many reviews I will be posting here soon on a regular basis.

    A Happy (and safe!) New Year to you and yours, too, Diedre!

    ~ D-FensDogG
    'Loyal American Underground'

    ReplyDelete
  3. I saw a documentary about this theory a few years back. I wonder if it was based on this book or something. It was an excellent doc that also gave a theory about where the Israelites might have crossed the Red Sea. Don't recall the name, but it was on NetFlix and unfortunately NetFlix deleted all of my viewing history so I can't look it up now. And my memory ain't so good.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LEE ~
      There's also some very interesting videos that relate to, and confirm, this idea at YouTube.

      Go there sometime and just do some keyword searches like "Red Sea, chariot wheels", etc. There are several videos of underwater footage showing numerous ancient Egyptian chariot wheels and axles on the floor of the Red Sea, right where Cornuke (and others) have said the Israelites crossed and the Egyptians tried to follow them.

      Noah's Ark has also been found. See the YouTube video about it by G. Edward Griffin.

      Two of the major Biblical events that seemed so preposterous that millions of people have dismissed The Bible out-of-hand have already been all but proven. There are just no excuses for non-believers.

      ~ D-FensDogG
      'Loyal American Underground'

      Delete
    2. That sounds like the same video. Back when I saw that I did not have YouTube access on anything connected to my main television--I hate watching anything long on my computer. I'll have to remember to explore YouTube next time I'm looking for stuff. I've watched some excellent documentaries on YouTube and it's so much nicer and more comfortable to watch them on the big screen from the comfort of my couch rather then my desk chair.

      Arlee Bird
      Tossing It Out

      Delete
    3. LEE ~
      Here is the first part of that Griffin documentary on Noah's Ark:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCDQeEXIB8o

      Why this person broke a one-hour documentary up into four pieces, I do not understand.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
  4. Al Bondigas here. This guy wrote three of the most exciting books I've ever read. Truly exciting and suspenseful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, Punk, you don't know!!

      (You might though, huh?)

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete
    2. POSTSCRIPT:
      Eventually, I will be posting reviews for at least 2 of his other books -- possibly the same 2 you also read.

      So, DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!
      Stay tuned! Same BatTime, same BatChannel.

      ~ D-FensDogG

      Delete

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