7-Day Moses Sites and Hasma Desert Tour in Tabuk and Maqna

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Day 01

Ship Rock in the Hasma Desert

• The most famous icon in the Hasma Desert, known as the "Desert of snow, clouds, and human civilizations," is a sandstone rock formation that resembles a ship. It is situated along one of the most renowned routes in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula.
• The old incense trade road was also part of the Umayyad Caliphate and Pilgrims Road path. Therefore, it is the largest and most significant repository of Thamudic, Nabataean, and Islamic rock writings.

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Day 02

Moses Altar and the 12 Pillars

• At the base of Mount Sinai, Moses built a stone altar and raised 12 marble pillars. Of the original 12 pillars, ten stones in the shape of a cylinder are still there today. These sites are among the most convincing indications that this is the real Mount Sinai.
• This altar, made of uncut stones that have not been elevated, meets the prescribed design given to Moses by God. The two animal corrals, shaped like chevrons, lead up to the altar, where three adjoining rooms follow one large room.

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Day 03

The Golden Calf Altar

• This site is a very sobering reminder that Aaron and the people were constructing a golden idol just in the shadow of the mountain where God was writing the law with His finger. The image was likely fashioned to reflect the ancient Egyptian bull gods of Apis and Hathor.
• A natural rock formation with a relatively flat top, strategically located at the intersection of the north-south and east-west travel corridors, provided the ideal location to showcase their prized deity. Etchings of bulls and some rare paintings around the sides of the formation provide credible evidence of the site's authenticity.

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Day 04

The Split Rock of Horeb

• Moses and his people camped in an area without water. The people's desperation, which came from the fear of dying of thirst, led Moses to believe that their wrath would result in his death.
• The deliverance of Moses and his people came about through an incredible miracle that occurred at a place called Rephidim. Moses struck this Rock of Horeb, which split, producing such large volumes of water that what followed was described as "rivers in the desert." Seeing this miracle up close is a must on any visitor's journey to Saudi Arabia.

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Day 05

Maghaer Shuaib in Midian

• Midian (Al bad) is where Moses spent ten years in voluntary exile before returning and freeing his people from Pharaoh Ramses II. It is also the homeland of Jethro (Prophet Shuaib), Moses' father-in-law.
• The Mugha'yer Shuaib appears from nowhere in the reddish desert west of Tabuk. Moses (as) lived here for a decade under the patronage of the Prophet Shuaib, who had been impressed by Moses' chivalry and offered his daughter's hand in marriage. Moses eventually returned to Egypt, but it is easy to imagine that this beautiful place stayed with him.

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Day 06

Moses' Well at Maqna

• Visit Moses' Well at Maqna, where it is believed that Moses cared for Jethro's (Prophet Shuaib) daughters and helped them draw water for their sheep. This is the first place where Moses (Musa) meets Zipporah, Jethro's daughter, and eventually marries her.

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Day 07

The Springs of Moses in Maqna

• The 12 Springs of Prophet Moses (as) is a historical landmark in the valley of Maqna, Saudi Arabia.
• The sprouting of water and its flow against gravity in the middle of the desert appears to be nothing less than magical.
• These springs also pump water into the famous valley of Maqna through sand holes driven by water flowing from the ground.