Day 1: Arrive in Cairo
We fly from London Heathrow to Cairo where we are met on arrival and transfer to our hotel for the night.
O/n 4* hotel, Cairo
Day 2: Cairo
Humans and Gods: We start the day with a tour of the spectacular Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, where our guest speaker Francesca will give an overview and introduction to the religious cultures of the ancient Near East, setting the context for the week ahead.
Akhenaton, Moses, and the invention of monotheism: the famous Egyptian Museum holds a unique collection of Pharaonic antiquities including statues of King Akhenaton, held by some to be the first monotheist. It is the perfect setting to explore the notion of monotheism, asking how, when – and even if – the idea of one God emerged.
O/n 4* hotel, Cairo
Day 3: To Sharm el Sheikh and into the desert
Escaping Egypt with the divine warrior: Our modern journey into the Sinai wilderness is a 1-hour internal flight to Sharm el Sheikh. From here we head into the desert and we are welcomed by Suleiman of the Muzeina tribe, he is an old friend of Wind Sand & Stars and his family has hosted our groups for over 25 years. During the afternoon we have time to acclimatise, as our guest speaker Francesca delves further into the story of Moses and the Exodus, and explains God’s early role as a Divine Warrior. In the evening we have dinner around the camp fire, enjoying sweet Bedouin tea and taking in the spectacular desert night sky.
O/n sleeping under the stars
Days 4-5: Journey through the desert
Late evening and early morning, members of the local Bedouin tribe and their camels arrive at our camp for the start of our camel trek. This is a unique opportunity to travel with the Bedouin through their land, experiencing at first hand the slow pace of traditional desert travel, the ever-changing scenery and their warm hospitality.
Death in the wilderness and life in the Promised Land: Along the way we will pass interesting sites and features such as the Nawamis, remarkable tombs dating from the Bronze Age. We will also encounter rock inscriptions carved by early pilgrims travelling from Jerusalem to Mt Sinai. We’ll see why the Bible portrays this landscape as a mysterious place in between death and life, and how it has shaped Jewish and Christian traditions about God.
Ancestors, Gods, and Landscapes: As we trek in the footsteps of people who have travelled across Sinai through the centuries, we pass scattered Bedouin encampments and oases and also a Bedouin cemetery, where Francesca will talk about the continuity of beliefs and rituals in the desert.
The route is flexible, there will be regular breaks and a long rest for lunch with plenty of shade from the sun. You will each have your own trekking camel. Saddles are well padded and comfortable. In the evenings we make camp and relax around the fire, enjoying the remarkable night skies and cups of hot, sweet tea with the Bedouin.
O/n each night sleeping under the stars
Days 6 & 7: St Catherine’s Monastery & Mount Sinai
Sacred space at the Burning Bush: In the morning we travel by vehicle to Mount Sinai in the heart of Sinai’s rugged mountains. We will be based at St Catherine’s Monastery which lies in the shadow of Mount Sinai and inside its walls is a living bush said to be the same burning bush that Moses saw. Founded in the sixth century by the Emperor Justinian, the monastery contains a Basilica church and mosque, as well as a unique collection of ancient manuscripts and art.
O/n St Catherine’s Monastery guesthouse
What did Moses see on the Mountain? The ascent of Mount Sinai is a steady walk for 2-3 hours, with the option of hiring camels until the final steps to the summit. The top is marked by a small chapel and mosque, with magnificent views of the surrounding desert and mountains. Francesca will unpack the complex biblical traditions about Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai, and explain why the story of Sinai marks an important transition in the early history of God.
O/n St Catherine’s Monastery guesthouse
Day 8: Depart
From Mount Sinai to Mount Zion: Our journey concludes with a final lecture from Francesca and in the morning we depart for Sharm el Sheikh for our flight home via Cairo.
All desert itineraries are subject to change. The final programme for the two days at the Monastery will depend upon the group, local conditions and also Monastery opening times.
Our guest speaker is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Religion at the University of Exeter. Alongside her research Francesca has made many media appearances (including 
Our journey will track the story of God in the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, from his early life as a wilderness warrior, to his vaunted role as patron deity of ancient Israel, to his heady position as the solitary God of the universe. As we travel, we’ll learn how the social and religious realities of life and death in the ancient Near East shaped and reshaped key events in the story of God, from the exodus out of Egypt, his meeting with Moses on a mountain-top, to the destruction of his temple in Jerusalem.
