“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” – your days are numbered, weighed and divided. This
powerful and brief phrase rang in my ears as I gazed upward at the rock. The Finger of God points beyond itself. Here, too, something has been written, not in ink or fire, but in
time and silence. It feels as if nature remembers what we have forgotten – like Sinai
when the commandments were carved into stone, firm and unchanging.
Just 70 km west of Outjo one will find the Vingerklip – a monument of history. The
Vingerklip directly translated from Afrikaans is Rock Finger. This rock formation looks
like a finger of man pointing upwards, which makes the name very suitable. The
Vingerklip is a geological remnant of the Ugap Terrace and is a very impressive formation
where it stands on a hilltop. It is about 35 meters high and 929 m above sea level.
Interestingly enough, Namibia was known for its two famous rock fingers until 1988.
Apart from the Vingerklip, Murorob or Mukorob was well known in the south of Namibia.
Near Keetmanshoop Mukorob was a symbol of history. The Nama people called it the
Finger of God, or Mukorob. This rock was 12 meters in height and had an extremely thin
base of only 1.5-meter width and three meters length. This thin base supported about
450 tons. This differentiated the two Rock Fingers. Mukurob consisted mainly out of
sandstone and was once part of the Weissrand Plateau. On 7 December 1988, Mukurob
fell to pieces. The cause is still debated but it is believed that it was a combination of
heavy rain the week before that weakened the narrow base and seismic vibrations from
the 1988 Spitak earthquake in Armenia.
Mukurob inspired many tales and legends. The legend goes that the Nama people lived
in the south and when the Herero people entered into the Nama region, they boasted
about all their cattle. They looked down on the Nama people, who only had rocks and no
cattle. But the Nama people took pride in this one rock and claimed to be the rulers of
the area as long as the rock stood. This annoyed the Herero people who then tried to
topple the rock, but it did not move. As they tried the Namas shouted: “M û kho ro!”
Before the collapse of Mukurob, it was a popular tourist destination attracting many
visitors from all over the world. It prompted many geological studies of the structure,
and it was given the status of a ‘National Monument’ on the 1st of June 1955. This status
still stands today and was not revoked after the collapse.
Today, it is only the Vingerklip stands as monument in Namibia. Tourists on their way to
Etosha or coming from Etosha can easily take a detour to visit the Vingerklip. When
visiting Namibia, take a turn off the beaten track and you might just be surprised! Let
God’s finger point your direction!
Author: Janke Murray