Plate 117 Chapel of Elijah, Mt Sinai - After David Roberts

Roberts and his group completed their trek to the summit of Mount Sinai on the 20th February and writing in his journal the artist noted 'today we ascended to the summit of Sinai, which took us two hours. Near the top are two small chapels. One covers the cave where Elijah passed the night, the other is dedicated to Elias.' [1]
 
The chapel itself is a 'low construction knwon as the Chapel of Elijah, built upon the spot where the prophet supposedly sought refuge from the persecution of the Queen Jezebel, the idolatrous wife of Ahab, a follower of the god Ba'al and an enemy to Israel. Inside the small building, an altar marks the entrance to the cavern where Elijah supposedly lived until God appeared before him, comforting him and suggesting that he travel to Syria where he could continue his prophetic mission. [2]
 
The drawings and watercolours from this tour of the Holy Land and Egypt by David Roberts were collated together into lithographic folios and released over a seven year period (1842-1849) by the publisher F.G. Moon from 20 Threadneedle Street London. This lithograph is from the Royal Subscription Edition (1842-1849) which includes original hand-colouring from Louis Haghe's studio. There were only around 500 copies produced per lithograph in this edition.
 
Medium: Original Royal Subscription Edition, hand-coloured lithograph on thin India paper.
 
Half Plate 117.
 
Inscribed l.l. 'Chapel of Elijah on Mount Horeb Feby 20th 1839' and l.r. 'David Roberts R.A.', 29.2 x 22.7 cm (lithograph size), mounted.
 
References:
 
[1] David Roberts' Egyptian and Holy Land Journal, 20th February 1839.
 
[2] Fabio Bourbon (ed). Yesterday and Today: The Holy Land. Swan Hill Press: London, 1997, p.48. Translated by Antony Shugaar.
 
Condition report: a few very small marks on the lithograph. The paper is slightly wavy, which was often the case with the RSE lithographs.