Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous, thought provoking story
Review: If ever an audiobook came close to simulating a movie, this is it. Over four hours that I wished never ended. It painted the story with such ease--I have recommended this book to whoever will listen!
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking account of discovery
Review: What started out as a gold seeking adventure spear-headed by Williams, who apparently makes a hobby of this sort of thing, turns into one rather of awe at the discovery of what could indeed be the true Mount Sinai. The gold seemed to take a second seat as the possibility took hold that indeed they were retracing the route taken some 3200 years ago by 2,000,000 Israelites fleeing Egyptian bondage. In reading the on-line reviews, readers seem to give this book either a 10 or a 3, nothing in between, I suppose depending on whether they believe there could be a Mount Sinai or that it could be found 3200 years later. But whether or not Jabal al Lawz is the true Mount Sinai, the book certainly gives a plausible account that this mountain is a distinct possibility. Certainly, a stronger possibility than the mountain in the Sinai Penninsula thought to be the true Mount Sinai based on nothing stronger than a tradition that began only about 1500 years ago. I was not at all put off by the fact that the adventurers in this account were amatuers. If they found the evidence the book claims, their experiences should draw attention to that evidence, that it may be proved or disproved, not shoved aside because they were not professionals. I definitely believe the book is well worth reading by anyone having an interest in ancient history, biblical or otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: how anybody could rate this book a "3" is beyond me. maybe they read a different book. oh well. . .to each his own. this is a terrific adventure. if you like tom clancy mixed with a touch of indiana jones, you'll love this book. it's nonstop, real-life, adventure. even if you're not a religious person, you'll enjoy this spine-tingling yarn. did they find the real mt. sinai? left me believin'!
Rating: 
Summary: Gimme a Break!
Review: Although the thesis that the real Mt. Sinai is in Saudi Arabia is an interesting one, and deserves serious study and research, this book does nothing to show evidence that Jabal al Laws is anything but a mountain in Saudi Arabia. It simply insults the intelligence of the reader with outlandish' proofs' that it is where Moses did his thing. Get this. A couple of amateurs falsify visas, smuggle suspicious equipment into Saudi Arabia, rent a Datsun and go off charging into the desert without any kind of plan, 'hoping' to find the Mountain of Moses. Paleez!
They find a hole in the ground and, yep, proof positive that it is the Springs of Marah. Discover a suspicious looking petroglyph of a cow, and again, consider this to be further evidence that the Children of Israel passed this way.
The protagonists snap a couple of pictures of a mountain, assumed to be in Saudi, and expect us to believe that it is anything other than a mountain in Saudi Arabia (if indeed the pictures were taken in Saudi Arabia).
The author Blum has been seeing too many Indiana Jones movies. Walk away from this book.
Rating:
Summary: Boring account of low-credibility expedition
Review: ...When I noticed Larry Williams on "Gold of the Exodus", the first thought was he was looking for a new way to extract money from people. The book was, in fact, disappointing. A con-man (certainly not a poster-boy for clear-thinking) and someone who comes off as Bubba (without the attitude) team up to sneak into Saudi Arabia and follow the trail of the Exodus to the real Mt. Sinai. Maybe Jabal al Lawz IS the real Mt. Sinai. If so, this expedition, to whatever extent it actually occurred, was a monument to poor planning. The book presents little useful information or verifiable facts -- probably because the expedition didn't generate any. Large sections are devoted to describing the personalities of the two men; with a topic of such huge significance, who cares? If you are interested in the history/archaeology of the search for Mt. Sinai, you won't get anything here. Something -- anything -- about the local history of the mountain would be interesting (what does "Jabal al Lawz" mean in Arabic anyway? Any local legends & history? They show photographs of petrogyphs of a cow exposed in full sun-light on a rock. Looks new, not 3500 years old. How did it get there?) After obtaining a rare & illegal peek inside Saudi Arabia, the publisher decided the topic needed only low contrast black & white photos (but a raised foil cover) -- and how did they take those day-lit photos in the middle of the single night when they climbed up and down the 8500 ft mountain anyway, dodging patrols as they went? The book clearly is intended to appeal to the prejudices of their assumed uncritical target audience; from the anti-intellectualism of the meeting with the stereotypically scary-arrogant university professor who condescended to talk to them in between tennis matches, to Williams running through the desert and falling over the "boundary markers of Moses" to detailed conversations reported from inside Saudi Ara bian military headquarters. As the book ends, bull-dozers are poised to eradicate all evidence of what they have seen even as they figure out they were tools of Israeli intelligence operatives all along. What a joke. As a non-fiction book, it reads like poorly constructed fiction. It isn't archaeology, it isn't history, some sections aren't even believable. As a fiction book, it is not that interesting, filling out what an earlier reviewer correctly described as a 30 page story with another 310 pages of stuff that isn't relevant to the search for one of greatest stories ever told ...
Rating:
Summary: A Great Story.. Is it really true?
Review: The story is likely to strike a debate on both the "discovery" of the real Mt. Sinai and the militarization of Saudi Arabia. Having just finished this "book on tape", it's worth getting! At once convincing and yet on reflection leaves gaping holes (How did they climb such a high mountain and return down in one night including injuries?) the storyline certainly leaves you wanting to belive the tale is entirely true! Since I won't be going to Saudi Arabia anytime soon, it's a good bet this story will be my reference point to the landscape and country. Insider details into what happened with Saudi military buildup as well as the Gulf War makes me wonder if it's truely non-fiction or more historical fiction.
We may never know the entire truth
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece of logic, intrigue and deductive reasoning
Review: Howard Blum has managed to put together the quintessential archaeological proof regarding the centerpiece of Old Testament Judaism. Without the hype of an Indiana Jones movie score, Blum convinces even the most secular of readers that the true Mount Sinai has been located, and that the political hatreds of our world may one day again play a part in making that unique locale in Saudi Arabia the central point for the survival of mankind. A MUST-READ for anyone with any sense of biblical archaeological history or interests.
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling Case that they really did discover Mt Sinai
Review: This page-turner demolishes the traditional view of the location & route of Exodus and gives us a high-probability route & location. That these guys were motivated by treasure hunting and not by an emotional need to "prove" Scripture reliable, adds to their credibility. Also agree that the Clancy-esque overlay is unnecessary.
Rating:
Summary: FASCINATING
Review: Part quest, part international intrique, part biblical archeology, this fast paced, well written true story reads like an adventure novel. Complete with biblical revelation and spy vs. spy most readers will find it hard to believe that the adventures of Larry Williams and Bob Cornuke are real. It was a fascinating book to read and was very enjoyable but if I was a Saudi I would be a little worried about the security of my county when two Americans can enter and wonder around. Howard Blum, the author, did a fine job in pulling together a wide range of information to bring about a tale that is both informative and entertaining. If the ending is somewhat disappointing....well that's life isn't it? It is amazing that the evidence discovered by Williams and Cornuke has laid around for centuries and no one has put it together to discover the true Mount Sinai. A really enjoyable read!
Rating:
Summary: After Larry Williams' original book... this is fiction!
Review: This book must be categorized as historical fiction. The details of the Saudi Arabian site are filled with half truths. Having read the book, "The Mountain of Moses", by Larry Williams and Bob Cornuke, the details are completely different. Finally, having seen video footage, filmed by a close friend, the military issue is a total fabrication. This book will, however, let the world know of a Biblical site that has been hidden since the 3rd or 4th century.
|
