Man And Mountains

Walther Kirchner, Mind, Mountain, and History, I. The Classical Spirit, Journal of the History of Ideas, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Oct., 1950), pp. 412-3:

For the Jews, as for Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Indians, and many other peoples, the early relations of man and nature must be traced against a religious background, and mountains must be considered within this general setting. They are the seats of the Gods. The Cedar Mountain of the Assyrians, the Caucasus of the Persians, the peaks of the Himalayas on India's northern border, from the heights of which, as the Rig Veda tells, the Gods look down—they all are understood as steps or ladders to what is immeasurable, unknown, and high above. Few would ever have thought of trying to grasp with mortal hands what might be dwelling on top of the mountains, close to heaven. Respect for the «holy» and fear of hidden terrors would forbid such an arrogant attempt. Not without cause were the mountains created arduous to approach, inaccessible on their flanks, and surrounded by clouds and storms. It was to separate man from the eternally holy which dwelt in solitude and serenity; and only he whose sincere longing to be close to God and whose own purity would be an armor against the dangers from above could dare set his foot on the heights. 

Essentially, each separate religion had «its own group of sacred mountains.» Even the Jews, who evolved a transcendental, monotheistic religion including a God whose image could not be conceived by man, have viewed mountains with special regard, lifting their eyes «unto the hills whence cometh my help.» Only Moses could undertake to ascend Horeb of Sinai, could dare stand face to face with his God and in storm and thunder receive a law from above for the impious crowd below. Likewise Mount Hor, Mount Nebo, the mountain from which Jesus preached his sermon, Mount Calvary and others bear witness to the fact that in an age when religious expression is paramount in man's life, he has to find a place in his mind for mountains—a place in harmony with his fundamental attitude. 

Looking down from Mount Nebo, found in today's Jordan. (Photos mine, taken in 2022)