The work surveys the peninsula's physical geography and its human use, combining archaeology, inscriptions, and historical narrative. It identifies an early moon cult and analyzes the Egyptian sanctuary at Serabit, where temple remains and Semitic inscriptions point to cross-cultural connections. It examines the presence and portrayal of Israelites, later Nabatean occupation, and shifting place-names and settlements. It traces the rise of Christian monasticism, the literary production of hermits, and the construction and life of the great southern convent that preserves relics associated with a martyr. It follows Sinai through the Crusades, medieval pilgrimage, early modern custodianship, and nineteenth-century exploration and scholarship.
