Rating: 
Summary: Increase your Faith
Review: I have just finished reading Howard Blum's fascinating and inspiring account of Bob Cornuke and Larry Williams' expedition to the "real" Mount Sinai. As a Bible devotionalist it was with great skepticism that I began reading this book just one week ago, now, after finishing it I must say that I was overwhelmed and thoroughly enjoyed the story. This book Blum has put together is a real page turner and many times I was swept up in the action on each page as to whether or not Cornuke and Williams would make it out of Saudi Arabia alive. I hastily admit that the other story in this book which is the placement of missles within Saudi Arabia and the role that Cornuke and Williams play was not as engaging for me as reading the account of when they actually made it to the mountain. I found myself celebrating with them as they stood on the rock that Moses stood and saw the Exodus unfold before them. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to prove to themselves that the events described in the Bible happened exactly as the Bible say they happened, and to enjoy a reading of the real Raiders of the Lost Ark. I cannot wait to see what Hollywood will do with such engaging and fascinating material. Maybe they will get Charlton Heston to reprise his most famous role? God Bless all.
Rating: 
Summary: Taken at face value, it's a good read.
Review: Unlike other readers, I took this book at face value, and if true, which I think it is due to it's total lack of academia, being rather more like a diary, then it is a good read. I wan't expecting anything, so I enjoyed the story of two guys who become so inspired that they risk their lives to get to a mountain and discover it's treasure, which in the end, they never see sight of. Considering that neither men are academics nor Biblical scholars, but trying to prove something to themselves given the Biblical clues, I think that they did a good job. The altar, the picture of an Egyptian bull, the twelve pillars at the bottom of the mountain, and even if Jabal Musa means "Law-Mountain" as opposed to the mountain of Moses, well didn't Moses receive the law here? The Oasis nearby and the theory that the Hebrews crossed the Gulf of Aqaba, certainly sound logical conclusions to me. My only dissappointment was that they did not go into the cave of Elijah. I was hoping that they would and that they would spend the next day there in hiding and descend the following night. What a lost opportunity! Either they would have had a mystical experience, or the humming that they heard was some kind of nuclear reactor or something technical. As I recall, Jesus spent forty days and forty nights in the wilderness on a mountain. Could it have been this mountain? And when the devil tempted him to have rulership of over the earth, was he talking about all the Gold at the bottom of the mountain, and did Jesus turn him down and instead spend time in Elijah's cave? I wish Larry Williams had done the same ....... but then this story would most probably be regarded as even more unbelievable than it already is!
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but poorly documented.
Review: A nice little spy story, a good theory (and very likely provable, were it not for politics), but insufficient documentation left me feeling flat. One can understand that certain aspects of the story are firsthand and cannot be verified without our own travel visas into Saudi Arabia and permission from that country to explore Jabal al Lawz, but even so what happened to that satellite photos Williams had in his possession? And how about personal photos?? How about copies of Fasold's letter? As for the overly dramatic style of narrative, it compares unfavorably to the old "Perils of Pauline" movie serials. I only give the book a 3 because it actually did hold my interest until the end. I don't agree that this book casts ethnic slurs--EVERYONE in this book comes out looking bad, from the Saudi spies to the Mossad to the FBI to the main figures, especially Williams. None are particularly sympathetic and some (especially Williams and former FBI chief Casey) are downright distasteful.
Rating: 
Summary: I was generally disappointed...
Review: I waited to read this story with much anticipation and have just finished it. Unfortunately, I am generally disappointed. You see I don't read fiction usually, and I expected here to see a serious work presenting the case for why this is or is not the real Mt. Sinai.Instead you would think I had bought a Tom Clancy novel. Ugh!!! So many real questions to answer and we get into a subjective third person narrative of wild intrigue involving spies, military plots, and 2 guys who have the distinction of NOT even being the first in recent years to make this discovery. (Ron Wyatt was---visit his website and see far more interesting facts and pictures on the subject). At one point the author has the protagonists licking their chops at the prospect of getting their hands on the "gold of the Exodus". Did these guys really think that the Hebrews would have just chucked it all in a hole and forgot about it? Did they really think they would have just dug it up, packed it in their duffel bags and checked it at the airport? Give me a break... Anyone knows that a true architectural artifact like a simple piece of pottery that could be firmly linked to the Israelites culturally at the time of the Exodus would be far more valuable, monetarily and archeologically. This book was written to sell movie rights, not critically examine the subject. The scholarly work presenting the pros and cons on whether this is the real Mt. Sinai has yet to be written, apparently.
Rating:
Summary: Both an informative and inspirational can't put down book.
Review: This book will increase your faith in the Bible. It truely makes you realize that the bible is a work of non-fiction. I also got a new incite on the Middle East goverments and the United States involvement with Foriegn Affairs. The book flows nicely and leaves the reader wanting more.
Rating: 
Summary: AWFUL! and insulting to just about everyone!
Review: Yes, that's right. Ths is without question one of the worst, if not THE WORST books EVER to come out dealing with the Middle East. It is nothing other than entertainment of an exceptionally low grade. I too am prepared to believe that Sinai is other than where tradition places it, but this illegal treasure hunt is outrageous. Mt. Sinai is NOT "the holiest place on earth" (as described by the author) to anyone: not to Jews [Temple Mount], Muslims [Mecca], or Christians [Bethlehem? Calvary?], and certainly not for Hindus and Buddhists, Taoists, etc. There is nothing but pseudo-scholarship in this book, highly destructive to serious thinking/inquiry on a very important subject. Taking his subjects as authorities, Blum cuts and pastes and presents, to be taken at literal, face value, statements from the Bible. Its take on recent history is absurd: Saudi Arabia attacking Israel with nuclear-tipped missles??? Which two countries were attacked by Iraqi SCUDS, ! and why?? Granted, the Israel lobby was very concerned with Saudi armament in the '80's. This book reeks of bogus excitement, and anyone who has been to Egypt, Sinai, Israel, Jordan, or Saudi Arabia will detect it at once. This IS yellow journalism that reinforces the worst stereotypes and simple-minded approaches. I found it reprehensible in its entirety: one star is already too much to give it! It will doubtless sell like hotcakes, and Spielberg's film of it will do MUCH BETTER than Amistad.
Rating:
Summary: Fiction told as History that comes across as Fiction !!!!!
Review: As a devotee of biblical history and myths, I was excited to receive my copy of The Gold of Exodus. I have trecked in the Sinai and been to Jabal Mousa, the mountain venerated as Mt. Sinai in the Sinai. So this new theory was of great interest to me. Unfortunately, the data presented is not corroborated by a single source. It is presented in a most unplausable and bizarre tale purported to be true. If there was truth here, why has no one sought to follow-up? Why has nothing appeared in the literature to sustain and further evaluate the claims made in this book? I don't know the answer but it must call into question the hypothises presented and the details surrounding the adventure that uncovered it. By the way, no one ever mentions that a translation of Jabal al Lawz could be "Mountain of-Laws." Do you really think that this cast of characters was the first to discover that this mountain could really be the true Mt. Sinai? I don't think so.
Rating:
Summary: Slow to evolve.
Review: I just finished the audio version and would like to belive that the real Mt Sinai exists and can be found. The story is a little weak at times. However in this day of need for concrete evidence to convince people of the existance of anything they can't see, feel and touch it would be a very satisfying and purifying to establish concrete evidence to support the Bible. It was an entertaining read overall.
Rating:
Summary: The Iron Pyrite (Fools Gold) of Exodus
Review: As a scholar of Middle Eastern Studies, I find this book to be the worst kind of yellow journalism masquerading as history. While I am fully prepared to believe that Jabal al-Lawz (Jabal al-Luz?) may be Mount Sinai, I do not understand why the author feels the need to throw in an obviously concocted story of secret missles, atomic bombs and evil Arab plots. The description of Arabs in this work constitutes the worst kind of racist rhetoric that would not be allowed for any other ethnic group. In addition, the book glorifies people whom any country would brand as thieves rather than as legitimate treasure hunters. Were Williams and Cornuke to attempt in Mexico, for example, what they did in Saudi Arabia, they would wind up spending many years in prison. Neither the US government nor anyone else of importance would shed a tear for them. Why is it that when a national patrimony belongs to the Arabs, it becomes fair game? Furthermore, if "the gold of Exodus" did indeed exist at Jabal al-Lawz (an absurd notion in the first place, since the Midianites would have long made off with it), why would the Saudis not have a right to claim it as their own? Overall, this book is a good illustration of why the author no longer works for the New York Times. It is far below the level of news that is fit to print. What amazes me the most is how a work of such poor quality could have received such favorable reviews in the first place. Is any piece of trash written about the Middle East to be believed uncritically?
Rating:
Summary: Good story, believable, but poorly documented
Review: I read about this story in an archeaological magazine over two years ago and have been tryng to find the book ever since. I can vouch for some of the information presented concerning military works. However, to be a credible book, more evidence needs to be presented. Where are the sattelite photographs that we are told were evaluated by an expert revealing the thousands year old trail of the Israelites? Where are the references for the conclusions for Pollard's spying? I personally believe the thesis, but could not use this book as proof. It is an excellent read and makes me want to know more. I will be waiting for the opening of the new museum mentioned in the book.
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