Exodus: A Journey to the Mountain of God
Encyclopedia
Exodus: A Journey to the Mountain of God (Hebrew: אקסודוס, מסע אל הר האלוהים) is a 1992 Israel
i documentary film
that follows an international group of archaeologists and travelers who go on a camel
-back journey looking for the true location of the Biblical Mount Sinai
. Arriving at Mount Karkom
in the southern Negev
Desert
of Israel
, they examine the archaeological findings discovered there by Italian archaeologist Prof. Emmanuel Anati
. These findings are the basis for a theory
claiming that the Biblical Mount Sinai is not Jabal Musa in Egypt
, as some traditions claim, but Mount Karkom, and that this is where the Exodus
took place. It also follows the expedition members' experiences and thoughts about religion
, faith
, human nature
, and spirituality
.Due to the remote desert
terrain, the production equipment was hauled along the 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) expedition
route by the crew and on camel-back.
The film was co-directed by Alon Bar
and Eitan Bin Noun and written by Bar. It premiered at the Casablanca International Film Festival, Morocco
on November 24, 1993, and was the first Israeli film ever to be shown in a film festival in an Arab country, and the first time that Israeli filmmakers officially took part in such an event.
. The young directors Alon Bar and Eitan Bin-Noun carried out the shooting with natural, emotional participation and great scientific preparation, producing a film that is not only centered on the archaeology of objects and rock art
, but also on anthropological elements, which underlines the psychology
and living habits of the desert people".
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
that follows an international group of archaeologists and travelers who go on a camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
-back journey looking for the true location of the Biblical Mount Sinai
Biblical Mount Sinai
The Biblical Mount Sinai is the mountain at which the Book of Exodus states that the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God...
. Arriving at Mount Karkom
Har Karkom
Har Karkom is a mountain in the southwest Negev desert in Israel, half way between Petra and Kadesh Barnea. On the basis that the Israelites travelled across the Sinai peninsula towards Petra in a fairly straight line, a number of scholars have contemplated the possibility of Jabal Ideid being the...
in the southern Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
Desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, they examine the archaeological findings discovered there by Italian archaeologist Prof. Emmanuel Anati
Emmanuel Anati
Emmanuel Anati is an Italian archaeologist.-Biography:Anati Emmanuel was born in Florence in 1930 to Ugo and Elsa Castelnuovo, a family of Jewish origin....
. These findings are the basis for a theory
Theory
The English word theory was derived from a technical term in Ancient Greek philosophy. The word theoria, , meant "a looking at, viewing, beholding", and referring to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action...
claiming that the Biblical Mount Sinai is not Jabal Musa in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, as some traditions claim, but Mount Karkom, and that this is where the Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
took place. It also follows the expedition members' experiences and thoughts about religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
, human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
, and spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
.Due to the remote desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
terrain, the production equipment was hauled along the 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) expedition
Exploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
route by the crew and on camel-back.
The film was co-directed by Alon Bar
Alon Bar
Alon Bar is an Israeli/American filmmaker.He wrote the award winning feature film "Aaron Cohen's Debt,"...
and Eitan Bin Noun and written by Bar. It premiered at the Casablanca International Film Festival, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
on November 24, 1993, and was the first Israeli film ever to be shown in a film festival in an Arab country, and the first time that Israeli filmmakers officially took part in such an event.
Awards
- 1995 Best DocumentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Award at the MedFilm Festival, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - 1993 Grand Prix Coronne D'Or at the Casablanca international film festival, Morocco
- 1993 Best Production Award by the Israeli Film Institute, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
MedFilm Festival Jury Citation
BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD goes to the film "Exodus - a journey to the mountain of God" by Alon Bar & Eitan Bin-Noun. The 52-minute long documentary film tells about the journey of an expedition of scientists towards Mt. Sinai, on the path of the Biblical Exodus. It is a scientific and archeological trip, but, at the same time, it tells the story of a human spirit, of the passage from slavery in Egypt to freedom, and to the Promised LandPromised land
The Promised Land is a term used to describe the land promised or given by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob. The promise is firstly made to Abraham and then renewed to his son Isaac, and to Isaac's son Jacob , Abraham's grandson...
. The young directors Alon Bar and Eitan Bin-Noun carried out the shooting with natural, emotional participation and great scientific preparation, producing a film that is not only centered on the archaeology of objects and rock art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
, but also on anthropological elements, which underlines the psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and living habits of the desert people".