Arabia in the New Testament: The Location of Mt. Sinai

Arabia in the mind of Apostle Paul in AD 36 did not include the Sinai Peninsula. Arabia in the first century was composed of only two Transjordan territories, not three. Arabia Felix, in which many Arab nations lived, including the Nabatean kingdom, was entirely Transjordan with a capital city at Petra. It extended north to Damascus and south to Leuke Kome (Midian) at the Straits of Tiran. Arabia Deserta was the sand deserts of the eastern Arabian Peninsula. At no point in history did Arabia Felix ever include the Sinai Peninsula.

Biblical Evidence for Mt. Sinai in Arabia Felix

Ishmael lived in Arabia Felix which never included the Sinai Peninsula, therefore Mt. Sinai was in Saudi Arabia. As written in Gal 4:25: Find Ishmael, find Mt. Sinai. Ishmael lived in Midian. Hagar and Ishmael lived in Arabia Felix which never included the Sinai Peninsula therefore Mt. Sinai was in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, Josephus calls the Sinai Peninsula "Egypt" and Josephus never calls the Sinai Peninsula "Arabia".

Apostle Paul was an antitype of Moses with 26 similarities. One was both Lawgivers visited Mt. Sinai in Arabia located in Saudi Arabia at Mt. Lawz in Arabia Felix where Hagar lived. All ancient literary sources before AD 77 exclude the Sinai Peninsula as Arabia, and there is universal agreement that Arabia in the Old Testament was exclusively Transjordan in the Arabian Peninsula.

Historical Changes in the Roman Era

It was not until 106 AD that the Romans officially annexed Nabatea and the "area around Petra". Rome designated three sub-regions within Arabia: Arabia Petraea (Sinai and the old territory of Nabatea), Arabia Felix (the southwestern coast of the Arabian Peninsula), and Arabia Deserta (roughly the rest of Arabia). The three Roman provinces after AD 106 were defined as:

  • Arabia Petra: The Sinai Peninsula was added to the previous territory of the Nabatean Kingdom, but Midian was removed.
  • Arabia Felix: Transjordan area continued to include Midian, but the Nabatean Kingdom was removed.
  • Arabia Deserta: The desert areas remained the same before and after.

Comparative Analysis of Midian and Sinai

Arabia in the Old Testament was well defined as being entirely Transjordan which included Midian. The following points highlight the differences between Saudi Arabia (Midian) and the Sinai Peninsula:

  • Arabia had many kings (2 Chron 9:14; Jer. 25:24): This is true for Saudi Arabia (Midian), but not for the Sinai Peninsula.
  • Paid Tax to Solomon (2 Chron 9:14): Yes in Saudi Arabia (Midian); No in the Sinai Peninsula.
  • Silver and gold mines (2 Chron 9:14-15): Located in Saudi Arabia (Midian); the Sinai Peninsula had copper and turquoise.
  • Where Hagar and Ishmael lived (Gen 16:12; 21:21): In Saudi Arabia (Midian), not the Sinai Peninsula.
  • Arabs bordered the Ethiopians (2 Chron 21:16): Yes in Saudi Arabia (Midian); No in the Sinai Peninsula.

Strabo describes two of the Arabian trade routes in 16.4.24. The Nabateans were spice traders from southern Arabia, Africa and from India to Egypt, Greece, Rome and Alexandria. These trade routes went extinct about AD 50.