IPhone Photos

[rayyan]

Depending on where one starts the journey across the Sinai, it can take 3.5 hours on a 4x4 before one has to start walking.

Walking, mostly across rocky surfaces, between valleys and climbing over small mounds of treacherous. This journey, for modern day tourists, is usually done at night..the heat in sunlight is unbearable..

But in ages past, people would walk along this path at all times, as a part of their normal life.

Such as a shepherd walking his flock from place to place.

At night, one looks at the sky and it is ablaze with the stars. The Milky Way winding its way across the heavens. Just picture what a person would have felt and seen in those ancient times as he/she walked on this path at night.

For one thing, The North Star would have been Vega; and not our pole star!

 

[rayyan]

To some this place is a sign of the struggle between the Good and the Bad. The strong and the weak. The struggle between Right and Wrong.

Let's stay away from that discussion. I might add, that to some this place is a story of an Empire. Of Egypt itself in those ancient times. Of history itself that would shape things to come.

I have spent a considerable time in Egypt, as a student of history...seen the remains of those that once called themselves gods, thought of themselves to be eternal, everlasting, the most powerful. But that would be another story reserved for another time. It is grand, no doubt about it and of some value as a lesson.

Back to our trek..

Getting down from the 4x4 one walks another 4 hours...exhausting for some, exhilarating for others! To reach the foot of a mountain.

Mt. Sinai. On the Top of which, according to more than one tradition, the Prophet
Moses ( PBUH ) was given the Ten Commandments. Therein lies the significance of Mt. Sinai., and also of this place.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are some scholars that believe that the Ten Commandments were handed to Prophet Moses ( PBUH ) on another mountain. But most Biblical traditions hold this to be the place.

At the foot of Mt. Sinai is a Christian monastery. The Monastery of St. Catherine. It has a special significance. People visit this place from all over the world to offer prayers. Within the compounds of the monastery is a bush. And a water well.

Therein lies its significance and importance.

What bush? What water well?

That indeed is the significance of this place and why this is hallowed ground for many.

 

[Lloyd]

Great stuff, Rayyan. The pictures are really good, and the telling of the story even better.

 

[rayyan]

Great stuff, Rayyan. The pictures are really good, and the telling of the story even better.

Thank you my friend, for giving me of your time. To see the pictures and commenting on the narrative.

Much appreciated, Lloyd.:salute:

 

[rayyan]

It is a old story, but I narrate it here again to give context to the images...not as a sermon.

The Bush..it is claimed by many, and a matter of Faith for even more that a shepherd once saw a bush burning in the desert. The image posted above, is claimed, to be that bush. Nurtured and tendered for all this time by the believers.

The shepherd, it is told, heard a Voice speak to him from behind the Burning Bush. It told the shepherd to go and lead his people to freedom from the enslavement of the Pharoahs. A lonely, stuttering shepherd to go against the power of the Pharoahs. Not an easy task, by any means. But then again, the Command was not of a mortal and the shepherd was Chosen to do the bidding.
The rest is well known. One can see the grandeur and the power of those that the shepherd had to face. In the museums of Cairo and along the banks of the river Nile.

The shepherd, while tending to his sheep, would drink from a well. It is this well that lies within the compounds of the monastery. Or so it is claimed.

There is a continuous stream of devotees that one can see offering prayers next to the Bush and Water Well.

The well is currently covered by a glass plate.
Is there water in the well?

My took a long, hard look along with others, and tells me that there is indeed water at the bottom of this well.

 

[rayyan]

Let's start the climb to the top of Jabal Musa, Har Sinai.

720 steps up. The mountain is not a very high one. Between 2500 and 3000 meters. One does not climb Mt. Sinai as a mountaineer; but most often as one who wants to ascend a Holy Place.

320 steps up, one finds a house. An abode of a Christian monk. He is 65 years old. Each day, 3 times a day, the monk comes down the 320 steps to pray next to the Bush and the Water Well. Each day, 3 times a day, he then climbs back to his abode.

As I said before, it is a matter of Faith. A matter of Belief in something greater, much greater than just climbing up and down a Rocky Mountain. At least to the monk who lives on Mt. Sinai.

 

[rayyan]

The top of Mt. Sinai.!

What does one find there?

A modern construction of some walls made of concrete and stones. Nothing fancy.

And a room. A Room.

Significance of this Room. A shepherd, long time ago, would sit in contemplation at this spot. The Spot where the shepherd, Moses ( PBUH ) was given the Ten Commandments.

The area around this place has 3 areas marked out. Again, nothing fancy....

The brick wall on your extreme right marks a mosque. In the center is a church. On the extreme left is a synagogue.

The three Abrahamic Faiths. The Faith of the Jews, the Christians and the Muslims. The believers in the story of the shepherd. The believers in the Prophethood of Moses ( PBUH ). The believers of the Torah, The Bible, and Koran. The believers in the three Holy Books given to the Blood Line of Abraham ( PBUH ).

 

[rayyan]

The Room!

What is inside the room?

The doors to the room are locked. The keys are held by Greek Christian monks, who are the only ones that can enter inside to pray and sit in contemplation.

But, and after waiting in line, my wife put her iPhone to the keyhole on the door of the room. This is what the camera saw..

 

[rayyan]

Sunrise from the top of Mt. Sinai...

For visitors, the tourist trap saying goes, it is good luck to hold the sun in your hands on the top of Mt. Sinai. Well, my wife said she could do with all the luck she gets...

And just to be certain!

It is now time to get down from the mountain and the not so short trip back to Sharm El Sheikh...

As the sun comes up, the temperature begins to rise. And we hurry down over the Rocky Mountain surface and ready for the trek across the desert to our waiting four wheel drives...

The desert and the mountain shall live on in the visitor's memories. As the story of a shepherd and an empire that transpired here some 3000 years ago shall endure for all time.

Thank you for coming along on this desert trek with us.

Best regards.

 

[rayyan]

Lloyd, Mikal..thank you for staying with the story!!

 

[Maggie O]

Shot with the 645 PRO app, which lets you save files as .TIFFs:


Amelia At The Back Door, June 02, 2013 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

 

[Godfrey]

Great photo, Maggie!

 

[Maggie O]

Thanks, Godfrey!

 

[mazor]

Wow MaggieQ, that is indeed impressive. When I look at the full res image, it is so sharp, and clear! I am going to have to try this 645 pro app!!! can u manually control ISO?

Also how much more IQ are you getting from the TIFF vs JPG from the built in camera app?

 

[Maggie O]

Wow MaggieQ, that is indeed impressive. When I look at the full res image, it is so sharp, and clear! I am going to have to try this 645 pro app!!! can u manually control ISO?

Also how much more IQ are you getting from the TIFF vs JPG from the built in camera app?

Sadly, there's no way to control ISO or shutter speed. But it does display what the current exposure settings are, so at least you have an idea of what you're going to get.

I think the .tiff files are a bit better, with more dynamic range and less noise reduction than the .jpgs. But that said, the .jpgs are pretty good.

iPhone and 645 PRO camera app .tiff file, processed with Color Efex Pro 4:


Best Friends, June 16, 2013 by Maggie Osterberg, on Flickr

 

[mazor]

nice maggieQ, see you are getting maximum grain from efex pro. Looks like ISO 1000 film.

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I will not fork out $$ for 645 pro yet, until they make one that can control ISO, and exposure metering etc.

 

[Maggie O]

Thanks!

The "grain" is all native noise. I think it looks pretty good, tho'!

 

[Leigh]

Rayyan...

What's this "Content protected by owner"???

- Leigh

The Room!

 

[mazor]

I think that means the images uploaded are not for public viewing. Suspect he needs to change options in his image upload provided to "public" or similar

 

[Lloyd]

Rayyan changed hosting services a while back, and as a result images posted from his prior service no longer have valid links. As there is only a limited period in which one can update a post, and that has passed on his, the only option would be to repost the images with updated links in a new post.