Mount of Transfiguration
Encyclopedia
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
is the identification of the mountain where Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
underwent his Transfiguration
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
. The Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
account of the Transfiguration is as follows.
"And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead." (Matthew 17:1-9, KJV)
Three candidates for this mountain have been suggested:
- Mount HermonMount HermonMount Hermon is a mountain cluster in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top there is “Hermon Hotel”, in the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied...
, for two reasons: It is the highest in the area (and the Transfiguration took place on "an high mountain" (Matthew 17:1)), and it is located near Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13), where the previous events reportedly took place.
(Note* - However, it is important to note that this location was extremely far from Jerusalem, and Yeshua & his Disciples would have been in Jerusalem for the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles), as it is one of three Pilgrimage feasts set forth in Leviticus 23, thereby making Mt. Hermon an unlikely reality for the place of Transfiguration)
Mount Hermon = 9,232 feet High. (33°24′N, 35°51′E; Hebrew: הר חרמון, Har Hermon) More Information on Mount HermonMount HermonMount Hermon is a mountain cluster in the Anti-Lebanon mountain range. Its summit straddles the border between Syria and Lebanon and, at 2,814 m above sea level, is the highest point in Syria. On the top there is “Hermon Hotel”, in the buffer zone between Syria and Israeli-occupied...
- Mount TaborMount Tabor-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
. This is a traditional location, but is not as high as Mount Hermon. The Church of the TransfigurationChurch of the Transfiguration-Albania:*Holy Transfiguration Monastery Church, Çatistë*Holy Transfiguration Church, Gjirokastër*Holy Transfiguration Monastery Church, Mingul-Russia:* Church of the Transfiguration located in Kizhi -United States:Alaska...
is located atop Mount Tabor. The earliest identification of the Mount of Transfiguration as Tabor is by OrigenOrigenOrigen , or Origen Adamantius, 184/5–253/4, was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church. As early as the fourth century, his orthodoxy was suspect, in part because he believed in the pre-existence of souls...
in the 3rd century. It is also mentioned by St. Cyril of Jerusalem and St. Jerome in the 4th century. It is later mentioned in the 5th century Transitus Beatae Mariae Virginis.
Mount Tabor = 1,886' High. , For more information on Mount Tabor: Mount TaborMount Tabor-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
- Mount SinaiMount SinaiMount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
. This has been suggested by Benjamin UrrutiaBenjamín UrrutiaBenjamin Urrutia is an author and scholar. With Guy Davenport, Urrutia edited The Logia of Yeshua, which collected what Urrutia and Davenport consider to be Jesus' authentic sayings from a variety of canonical and non-canonical sources...
on the basis of the presence of MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and Elijah (two prophets traditionally associated with Mount Sinai). This is, however, unlikely since Sinai is rather geographically remote.
Mount Sinai = 7497' High. (Arabic: طور سيناء , Hebrew: הר סיני), For more information on Mount Sinai: Mount SinaiMount SinaiMount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
Jesus was claimed to stand on the Mountain with Elijah and Moses. These would be the three figures which had the most miracles surrounding them in the Bible. Moses, representing the law and Elijah, the prophets. In Luke Jesus spoke to Moses of Jesus departure( in Greek exodus ).
29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,[a] which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ( Luke 9:29-31 ESV)
Peter who was one of the claimed eyewitnesses with James and John reflects on this in 2 Peter about Peter's own departure - exodus.
13I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. (2 Peter 1:13-18 ESV )
This account is one of three in the New Testament where God is heard audibly speaking. All three accounts concern Jesus. They are:
- Jesus' baptism ( Mk 1:9-11)
- The mount of transfiguration ( Mk 9:14-29 )
- At the temple when Greeks approach Jesus ( Jn 12: 20-26 )
In Matthew, Mark and Luke ( the Synoptic gospels ), the account of the Transfiguration is immediately after Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah at Caesarea Phillipi and immediately followed by coming down off the mountain and healing an epileptic boy. Peter's confession and Jesus' announcement He would die and rise are both in a sense confirmed with the discussion of Jesus' "exodus - departure" with Moses. The mountain top experience contrasts with the difficulties of life and healing of the boy ( Mk:14-29).