During his stay in Egypt (July 24, 1798, to February 1, 1799), Napoleon Bonaparte was particularly concerned with the security of the monastery and the safety of its monks due to his devotion to Moses, and because as he stated, “the Monastery of Mount Sinai is populated by learned and civilized men”. On the 29th of Frimaire in the seventh year of the Democracy (December 19, 1798) he issued a Decree (Arrête) with which he guaranteed the rights of the monastery, and placed it and its monks under the protection of his government, exempt from taxes and customs duties; he also ordered civic and military authorities to ensure that the monks would not be harassed.
