The Rise of Holy Mountains: Historical Traditions of Zion and Sinai in the Hebrew Bible

Abstract

The traditions of the holy mountains, which refer primarily to Mount Zion and Mount Sinai, are presented prominently in the biblical writings. The tradition of Mount Sinai has long been conceived as the starting point for discussion of the chronological relationship between Mount Zion and Mount Sinai. However, with the discovery of new archeological data and new insights into the compositional history of the Torah over the last several decades, there have been increasing voices arguing that the relationship between the traditions of Mount Zion and Mount Sinai probably has a more complex history than what has been perceived. Thus, the historical interactions of the two mountains have to be reconsidered. This article will contextualize the historical development of the traditions of the holy mountains against the background of the historical experiences of the Jerusalem temple in the Babylonian exilic and early Persian periods. It will argue that the interactions of the traditions of Zion and Sinai eventually led to a historical transformation from the traditions of the former to those of the latter.