The Shadow of Mount Horeb

Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai as it also is called is the place where the prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments from God which you can read about in Exodus 20:1-17.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

The Burning Bush and the fire extinguisher

The burning bush are described in the Book of Exodus and it's located close to Mount Horeb (Sinai). The bush was on fire but was not consumed by the fire. God spoke to Moses through the burning bush and he told him to take the israelites from their captivity in Egypt and bring them into the promised land. The monks at the St Catherine monastery believe that this is the actual bush that God use to speak to Moses through. They have even placed a fire extinguisher to prevent that the bruning bush will catch fire.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

The Cameraman who moved like a mountain goat

I met Ali when I went to Mount Sinai in mars 2012. He is the kind of guy who always have a big smile on his face and I made good contact with him even if my arabic was as bad as his english. Ali made his living by filming tourist groups who went to the summit of the mountain. It was a tough climb to the top. Ali who had been their many times moved like a mountain goat even if he was heavily loaded with a big and bulky video camera. Ali's big dream was to work as a cameraman for the Egyptian movie industry.

The area in Egypt where Mount Sinai and Saint Catherine's Monastery is located was safe when I went there. Today the area is controlled by a terrorist organization that has close bonds to the Islamic state (IS) and because of that there have been a drastic drop of tourists in the area since the Egyptian regime can't guarantee for their security. Many egyptians and bedouins was dependent on tourism to get an income but now they have lost that possibility. I hope that Ali lives his dream today and work for Egyptian movie industri.

Text and Photo: Mikael Good

Wiew from the top of Mounth Horeb

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.” - Exodus 24:12

Text: God. Photo: Mikael Good

Muhammad’s letter of protection for a Christian Monastery

Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai as it also is called is the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God which you can read about in Exodus 20:1-17. Moses is considered to be a important Prophet for all the three Religions and the place is sacred to the three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 



Tens of thousands of pilgrims visited the summit of mount Horeb to worship God, Allah or Yahweh and to see the marvelous view and sunrise from the top. There is an Greek Orthodox Chapel as well as a small Mosque on the summit of mount Horeb. Thousands of tourists who belong to other religions or are non believers also visited mount Horeb to see the sunrise and to feel the wings of history surrounding the mountain.



Saint Catherine's Monastery and mount Horeb are located in an area of the Sinai peninsula which is controlled by a terrorist organization that has close bonds with the Islamic state (IS). Tourists are strongly recommended to stay out of the area since the Egyptian regime can't guarantee for their security. There's a immediate risk of being kidnapped or even worse There's been a drastic drop of tourist in the area during the last years. Bedouins and native Egyptians that was dependent on tourism to get an income has lost that possibility. They now have to struggle hard to provide for their children.



There are not yet confirmed rumors that the monks at the Monastery are forced to pay the Islamic jizya tax, which is applied to non-Muslims in areas controlled by IS or their collaborators. What is known is that the monks recently asked for financial aid and that is something that is very rare since they live their lifes in seclusion.



Some of Christianities most priceless treasures are kept inside the Monastery. The collection of rare books and manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Syrian, Georgian and Slavonic can easy compete with the collection in the Vatican. It also contains a unique collection of more than 2000 icons from 1500 years. And what is said to be the burning bush that God used when he spoke with Moses.



Saint Catherine monastery was completed in 557. It has not been without enemies since then, but it has never been conquered. The tradition says that earlier in his career Prophet Muhammed used to stay at the monastery when he travelled with caravans on his way from Egypt to Arabia. In 628 travelled a delegation from Saint Catherine's to Prophet Muhammed and made a request for his protection of the Monastery. Muhammed issued a letter of protection for the monastery and stamped the document with the imprint of his hand, since he couldn't read or write. You can read more about the letter of protection here.



The original letter of protection are kept in an museum in Istanbul, and a copy of it is on display in the monastery's museum. Even if muslims has respected the letter of protection from Muhammed through centuries. The monks don't rely that IS will respect it. They are afraid that IS will eventually attack and plunder the Monastery and destroy or scatter all the priceless books, icons and artifacts. 



It's important that we pray for Gods protection for the monks and the people in the area. So that they can continue their important work and be a bridge between religions and cultures. It's also important that we pray for the terrorist that they shall meet the loving and caring Father that God is and start to worship Him. There's only one way to God! Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.




Click the following link if you want to see some more photos from Mount Horeb and Saint Catherine: www.flickr.com/photos/chasid68

Text and photo: Mikael Good

Sharpness is a bourgeois concept

A Bedouin guide and me (I'm the man to the right) from my trip to Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. A retired Norwegian journalist who could not handle a range-finder camera took the picture and therefore it is not utterly sharp. But on the other hand is sharpness a bourgeois concept according to Henri Cartier-Bresson and the picture still serves as a good memory for my trip into the vaste hills of the Sinia Peninsula.

Text and photo: Mikael Good

Animaux Domestiques - 家养动物 - Tamdjur

Titeln till det här inlägget kanske inte är så självklar för alla läsare. Men för att göra en lång historia lite kortare så är Animaux Domestiques franska för tamdjur och 家养动物 (Jiāyǎng dòngwù) är kinesiska för tamdjur.

Anledningen till att jag har skapat ett album med namnet "Animaux Domestiques - 家养动物" på flickr är att jag brukar dokumentera tamdjur såsom hundar, katter och ankor när jag är på resande fot. En del av djuren är små och söta medan andra är rätt så monstruösa eller groteska i sin uppenbarelse och då pratar jag inte om barnen som är med på två av bilderna, barn är alltid söta.



全国叫我是小红岗工业区再见 (Quánguó jiào wǒ shì xiǎo hónggǎng gōngyè qū zàijiàn). Det finns dom som tror att jag kan prata kinesiska, men jag måste erkänna att jag har en sak gemensam med Dr Sheldon i The Big Bang Theory och det är att vi är ungefär lika bra på kinesiska: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTO2SgrFw-c

Text och foto © Mikael Good, All rights Reserved

Animaux Domestiques - 家养动物

I like taking photos of domestic animals and their owners every now and then. Some of the animals that I meet are cute and some of them are quite monstrous.

Мне нравится фотографировать домашних животных и их владельцев. Некоторые из животных, которых я встречаю довольно мило и некоторые из них довольно чудовищно.

Text and Photo © Mikael Good