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Time for a crazy theory.  First, a little history:

According to tradition, the mountain where Jesus was transfigured is Mount Tabor.

Mount Tabor (Hebrew: Har Tavor) is a hill rising 500m above the Jezreel Valley in the region of Galilee. Due to its strategic location along the north-south road, it has been an important fortress since ancient times. Christians have identified a rock atop Mt. Tabor as the place of the Transfiguration of Christ since the 4th century AD.

By the 7th century, there was a fortifed Monastery of the Transfiguration associated with Armenian monks atop Mt. Tabor.  Here's a map of Galilee that shows the location of Mount Tabor, relative to the Sea of Galilee:

(http://www.rjb-3d.com/images/map-n.jpg)

I believe that tradition to be wrong.  Why?  The Biblical evidence, of course.  Let's take a look at the transfiguration in the Bible, ok?

Mat 17:1-8   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 Elias 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 Elias.  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.

Mar 9:1-9   And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.  And after six days Jesus taketh [with him] Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.  And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.  And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.  And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.  For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.  And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.  And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.  And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

If you're just skimming, the important point here is that Jesus met Moses, and Elijah at His transfiguration.  But Moses and Elijah have something else in common besides having a nice chat with the Lord.  Both of them, at the end of their lives, disappeared into a mountain.  I believe that was the same mountain the Lord was transfigured on.


2Kings 2:4-12   And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.  And the sons of the prophets that [were] at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know [it]; hold ye your peace.  And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, [As] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.  And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.  And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped [it] together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: [nevertheless], if thou see me [when I am] taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be [so]. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, [there appeared] a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.  And Elisha saw [it], and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took
hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

Now, I know what you're thinking....it doesn't say where the mountain was.  That's true.  But it gives us some good hints.  First, they went to Jericho.  From there they went to the Jordan River.  And they crossed over the river.  So wherever the mountain is, it's east of the Jordan, and about as far south as Jericho.

But let's check out Moses story:


Num 27:12-13   And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.  And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

Deuteronomy 32:49 Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, [unto] mount Nebo, which [is] in the land of Moab, that [is] over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:

Deuteronomy 34:1-6   And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that [is] over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan, And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, unto the utmost sea, And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, unto Zoar. And the LORD said unto him, This [is] the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see [it] with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.


This time we have a name.  Actually, two: Mount Abarim, and Mount Nebo, which are the same mountain.  We also have the important fact that the mountain is near Jericho.  Here's a map showing the location of Mount Nebo:

(http://bibleprobe.com/nebo.gif)

So, it looks like Elijah and Moses disappeared in roughly the same place.  The same place where Jesus, I believe, met them a thousand or so years later.

If you read all of this tripe, thank you, and may a blessing be upon you and yours.

Jarrod

was it a real physical mountain     a place in the spirit     or both
Jacob went to a certain place       The gate of heaven


A physical place where a spiritual portal was

Look at verse 3       INTO  the hill of the Lord   

v6 Jacob   then gates and doors    Gates on earth    doors in Heaven

Ladder formed         

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
         Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
         Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
         Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
         And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
         Who seek Your face.  Selah 
         
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
         And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
         And the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
         The LORD strong and mighty,
         The LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates!
         Lift up, you everlasting doors!
         And the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
         The LORD of hosts,
         He is the King of glory.  Selah 


When you find it    lets go there      a physical place with a spiritual portal

Well maybe my crazy thoughts        thowen in

That is one of those things you can put on a list to inquire of the Lord when you get to Heaven.  ::smile::

Your theory makes sense to me.... and I am convinced that the Mount was ABOVE sea level.  HTH.  ::noworries::

: kensington  Tue Apr 08, 2008 - 14:17:18
Your theory makes sense to me.... and I am convinced that the Mount was ABOVE sea level.  HTH.  ::noworries::

Ummmmm.....the Dead Sea area has the lowest elevation on earth, and is well below sea level.

But thanks for reading through all my drivel.   ::smile::

I read something else about this recently, but can't remember where.  It may have been in the N.T. Wright book I've been reading.  I'll check.

Interesting theory. So . . . perhaps Moses and Elijah were directly brought from the time streams of the last day of their earthly existence directly to the meeting with Jesus in the same place, and then to "glory"?

FWIW, I have always suspected that Mt. Hermon is more likely the mount of transfiguration than Mt. Tabor.

I'm still looking...it doesn't seem to have been Wright.  I may simply be losing my mind.

: marc  Wed Apr 09, 2008 - 23:33:43
I'm still looking...it doesn't seem to have been Wright.  I may simply be losing my mind.

I actually came up with this theory entirely on my own, so if you read about it somewhere else, I've been plagiarized.  Or they came up with it independently.  ::shrug::

What I read wasn't necessarily the same thing, but, iirc, it did tie all this together.  But my mind plays tricks.