Travel Journal-St. Catherine's Monastery

Wednesday November 2

St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai

The journey northward through the military and security checkpoints from the Bedouin fishing village of Dahab to the foot of Mar Mousa (Mt. Moses also called Mt. Horeb) was both eerie and alluring. But now that I am here, I find all my attention focused on the library of the oldest monastery in Christendom, St. Catherine's. That magnificent set of cloistered rooms and winding corridors is the basis for the scriptorium of Dier al-Shuhada in my novel Q: Awakening. It is a a magnificent collection, housing the second largest collection of ancient Christian manuscripts and codices in the world (only the Biblioteca Aspostolica Vaticana in Rome holds more).

But it isn't easy to enter the ancient library these days. Renovations are underway and Father Justin, the monk who leads the order, is away. But as with so many places, a donation and a bit of persistence opens the doors. And not only to the libary, but to the charnel house (also used as an influence for Dier al Shuhada in the novel). With luck, I'll finish my research in time to attend the Greek Orthodox services in the chapel. Then, if all proceeds as planned, tomorrow I'll climb Mt. Mousa and watch sunset from that acient peak.