Robert Cornuke | Research. Discover. Dialogue.

Robert Cornuke – a former FBI trained police investigator and SWAT team member-is a Biblical investigator, international explorer, and author of eight books.

He has participated in over thirty expeditions around the world searching for lost locations described in the Bible. These journeys include searching for the real Mount Sinai in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, exploring in Turkey along with Apollo Fifteen Astronaut Jim Irwin for the remains of Noah’s ark, following ancient Assyrian and Babylonian flood accounts in Iran and tracking the Ark of the Covenant from Israel to Egypt and across the Ethiopian highlands. Off the coast of Malta, his research team found the probable location of Paul’s shipwreck, and more specifically, the accounting of all four anchors as described in the Bible. (Acts Chapter 27).

Bob has appeared on the CBS television special Ancient Secrets of the Bible, NBC’s Dateline, MSNBC, Fox, ABC, History Channel, Good Morning America, CNN and Ripley’s Believe It or Not.  He traveled across Afghanistan during US bombing strikes on a video and photographic assignment, and in 2007 he was the featured platform speaker for all the Promise Keepers men’s conferences.

Bob is currently president of the Bible Archaeology Search and Exploration (BASE) Institute located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He serves as special advisor for the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools and was once invited by former President Bush’s staff to conduct a Bible study at the White House.

Bob earned his Ph.D. in Bible and Theology from Louisiana Baptist University, but his children claim that his most notable accomplishment to date is having one of his adventures featured as the answer to a question on a Trivial Pursuit card.

BASE Institute and Robert Cornuke

Because Bible archaeology is controversial by its very nature, so-called critics of the BASE Institute and Robert Cornuke need to be addressed here briefly:

BASE Institute tries to bring archeological resolution to some of the most ancient of historical occurrences. This is a daunting task, but advanced technologies and a deeper understanding of Biblical hermeneutics help to bring clarity to the past. To some however, criticism is the only response to any findings that do not coincide with the personal research efforts of these critics. For instance, one man, Gordon Franz, has leveled a wholesale attack on Robert Cornuke, BASE, and the many collaborators that work with BASE. Unfortunately, this man has received some misguided attention. He has even sent letters to places where Robert Cornuke lectures trying to cause disruption. One pastor described Franz’ actions as deplorable for a man who calls himself a Christian. It is unfortunate that some of those that oppose the views of BASE and Robert Cornuke have to use the internet with grossly distorted facts.

To the angst of Mr. Franz and a few other detractors, there are several leading scholars and prestigious publications that are expressing confidence in some of the findings of the BASE Institute, for instance, the theory that the real Mount Sinai is a mountain in Saudi Arabia known as Jabal Al Lawz.

Specifically, Dr. Frank Moore Cross, Professor Emeritus from Harvard University says, “A great many scholars coming around to the notion that Sinai is in fact in Northern Arabia.”(Associated press, 2-19-2000, The Sun Harold Mississippi). Dr. Cross states in his book From Epic to Canon, John Hopkins University press, 1998, page 66, that Mount Sinai cannot be in the Sinai Penninsula according to the Bible. “The archaic hymns of Israel are of one voice. Yaweh came from Teman, Mt. Paran, Midean and Cushan (the song of Habakkuk); the song of Deorah sings of Yahweh going from Seir, marching forth from Edom; the Blessing of Moses states that Yahweh came from Sinai, beamed forth from Seir, shone from Mount Paran. These geographical designations cannot be moved west into the peninsula now called Sinai.”

Bible Review magazine, April 2000 issue, notes:, “A reasonable guess according to Cross, for the identity of Mount Sinai is Jabal Al Lawz, the highest peak in Arabia”.

Heshal Shanks, Editor of , Bible Archaeology Review says, “Jabal Al Lawz is the most likely site for Mount Sinai”

Bible Review Magazine, Volume XVI, April 2000, also states that, “The tradition that Mount Sinai was the highest Mountain near Madian may point to Jabal Al Lawz because it is clearly the peak that dominates the entire region.”

Dr. Allen Kerkeslager writes in his book, Pilgrimage and Holy Space in Late Antique Egypt, “Jabal Al Lawz may also be the most convincing option for identifying the Mt. Sinai of biblical tradition.”

Dr. Roy E. Knuteson, (Retired Bible History Professor) states, “The visible evidence is quite overwhelming that the location of the true Mount Sinai has been discovered in the ancient land of Midean” (Saudi Arabia)."

As quoted from his Doctoral dissertation, Dr. Charles Whittaker states, “The Biblical significance of Jabal Al Lawz ( Mountain of Almonds) will be demonstrated in this paper. It is significant because the mountain and its environs fit the description of the Scriptural Mt. Sinai and Mt. Horeb better than any other candidates for that honor."

Mr. Franz has sent Robert Cornuke an open letter outlining his criticism and Robert Cornuke has answered. For those that want to see the opposing arguments please refer to the letter posted to Mr. Franz which is posted below:  

Open Response To Grodon Franz From Robert Cornuke - Read More

Open Response To Gordon Franz From  Swede (Norm) Carlson, Colorado Free Bible College - Read More