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Map of the Route of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt

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Map of the Route of the Hebrews from Egypt

This map shows the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses.

The Nile Delta was a triangular area of marshland about 150 miles from north to south, from Memphis to the Mediterranean, and about 150 - 200 miles wide.

Upper Egypt was a bit further south from Lower Egypt, starting at Memphis (bottom of the Nile Delta Triangle) and extended for about 600 miles down the Nile River Valley to Elephantine (Aswan).

Genesis 47:6 - The land of Egypt [is] before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest [any] men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

Hosea 9:6 - For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant [places] for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns [shall be] in their tabernacles.

Exodus 14:1-2 - And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

Exodus 14:21-22 - And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Egypt in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE Egypt 1. The Basis of the Land: Though Egypt is one of the earliest countries in recorded history, and as regards its continuous civilization, yet it is a late country in its geological history and in its occupation by a settled population. The whole land up to Silsileh is a thick mass of Eocene limestone, with later marls over that in the lower districts. It has been elevated on the East, up to the mountains of igneous rocks many thousand feet high toward the Red Sea. It has been depressed on the West, down to the Fayum and the oases below sea-level. This strain resulted in a deep fault from North to South for some hundreds of miles up from the Mediterranean. This fault left its eastern side about 200 ft. above its western, and into it the drainage of the plateau poured, widening it out so as to form the Nile valley, as the permanent drain of Northeast Africa. The access of water to the rift seems to have caused the basalt outflows, which are seen as black columnar basalt South of the Fayum, and brown massive basalt at Khankah, North of Cairo. 2. The Nile Valley: The gouging out of the Nile valley by rainfall must have continued when the land was 300 ft. higher than at present, as is shown by the immense fails of strata into collapsed caverns which were far below the present Nile level. Then, after the excavations of the valley, it has been submerged to 500 ft. lower than at present, as is shown by the rolled gravel beds and deposits on the tops of the water-worn cliffs, and the filling up of the tributary valleys--as at Thebes--by deep deposits, through which the subsequent stream beds have been scoured out. The land still had the Nile source 30 ft. higher than it is now within the human period, as seen by the worked flints in high gravel beds above the Nile plain. The distribution of land and water was very different from that at present when the land was only 100 ft. lower than now. Such a change would make the valley an estuary up to South of the Fayum, would submerge much of the western desert, and would unite the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean. Such differences would entirely alter the conditions of animal life by sea and land. And as the human period began when the water was considerably higher, the conditions of climate and of life must have greatly changed in the earlier ages of man's occupation. Full Article

Egypt in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Egypt (land of the Copts), a country occupying the northeast angle of Africa. Its limits appear always to have been very nearly the same. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Palestine, Arabia and the Red Sea, on the south by Nubia, and on the west by the Great Desert. It is divided into upper Egypt --the valley of the Nile --and lower Egypt, the plain of the Delta, from the Greek letter; it is formed by the branching mouths of the Nile, and the Mediterranean Sea. The portions made fertile by the Nile comprise about 9582 square geographical miles, of which only about 5600 is under cultivation. --Encyc. Brit. The Delta extends about 200 miles along the Mediterranean, and Egypt is 520 miles long from north to south from the sea to the First Cataract. NAMES. --The common name of Egypt in the Bible is "Mizraim." It is in the dual number, which indicates the two natural divisions of the country into an upper and a lower region. The Arabic name of Egypt --Mizr-- signifies "red mud." Egypt is also called in the Bible "the land of Ham," Ps 105:23,27 comp. Psal 78:51 --a name most probably referring to Ham the son of Noah --and "Rahab," the proud or insolent: these appear to be poetical appellations. The common ancient Egyptian name of the country is written in hieroglyphics Kem, which was perhaps pronounced Chem. This name signifies, in the ancient language and in Coptic, "black," on account of the blackness of its alluvial soil. We may reasonably conjecture that Kem is the Egyptian equivalent of Ham. GENERAL APPEARANCE, CLIMATE, ETC. --The general appearance of the country cannot have greatly changed since the days of Moses. The whole country is remarkable for its extreme fertility, which especially strikes the beholder when the rich green of the fields is contrasted with the utterly bare, yellow mountains or the sand-strewn rocky desert on either side. The climate is equable and healthy. Rain is not very unfrequent on the northern coast, but inland is very rare. Cultivation nowhere depends upon it. The inundation of the Nile fertilizes and sustains the country, and makes the river its chief blessing. The Nile was on this account anciently worshipped. The rise begins in Egypt about the summer solstice, and the inundation commences about two months later. The greatest height is attained about or somewhat after the autumnal equinox. The inundation lasts about three months. The atmosphere, except on the seacoast, is remarkably dry and clear, which accounts for the so perfect preservation of the monuments, with their pictures and inscriptions. The heat is extreme during a large part of the year. The winters are mild, --from 50 Full Article

The Exodus in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Exodus, The of the Israelites from Egypt. the common chronology places the date of this event at B.C. 1491, deriving it in this way: --In 1Ki 6:1 it is stated that the building of the temple, in the forth year of Solomon, was in the 480th year after the exodus. The fourth year of Solomon was bout B.C. 1012. Add the 480 years (leaving off one years because neither the fourth nor the 480th was a full year), and we have B.C. 1491 as the date of the exodus. This is probably very nearly correct; but many Egyptologists place it at 215 years later, --about B.C. 1300. Which date is right depends chiefly on the interpretation of the Scripture period of 430 years, as denoting the duration of the bondage of the Israelites. The period of bondage given in Ge 15:13,14; Ex 12:40,41 and Gala 3:17 as 430 years has been interpreted to cover different periods. The common chronology makes it extend from the call of Abraham to the exodus, one-half of it, or 215 years, being spend in Egypt. Others make it to cover only the period of bondage spend in Egypt. St. Paul says in Ga 3:17 that from the covenant with (or call of) Abraham the giving of the law (less than a year after the exodus) was 430 years. But in Ge 15:13,14 it is said that they should be strangers in a strange land,a nd be afflicted 400 years, and nearly the same is said in Ex 12:40 But, in very truth, the children of Israel were strangers in a strange land from the time that Abraham left his home for the promised land, and during that whole period of 430 years to the exodus they were nowhere rulers in the land. So in Ex 12:40 it is said that the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was 430 years. But it does not say that the sojourning was all in Egypt, but this people who lived in Egypt had been sojourners for 430 years. (a) This is the simplest way of making the various statements harmonize. (b) The chief difficulty is the great increase of the children of Israel from 70 to 2,000,000 in so short a period as 215 years, while it is very easy in 430 years. But under the circumstances it is perfectly possible in the shorter period. See on ver. 7 (c) If we make the 430 years to include only the bondage in Egypt, we must place the whole chronology of Abraham and the immigration of Jacob into Egypt some 200 years earlier, or else the exodus 200 years later, or B.C. 1300. in either case special difficulty is brought into the reckoning. (d) Therefore, on the whole, it is well to retain the common chronology, though the later dates may yet prove to be correct. The history of the exodus itself commences with the close of that of the ten plagues. [PLAGUES, THE TEN] In the night in which, at midnight, the firstborn were slain, Ex 12:29 Pharaoh urged the departure of the Israelites. vs. Ex 12:31,32 They at once set forth from Rameses, vs. Ex 12:37,39 apparently during the night v. Ex 12:42 but towards morning on the 15th day of the first month. Nu 33:3 They made three journeys, and encamped by the Red Sea. Here Pharaoh overtook them, and the great miracle occurred by which they were saved, while the pursuer and his army were destroyed. [RED SEA, PASSAGE OF] Full Article

The Red Sea in Smith's Bible Dictionary

The Passage of the Red Sea It is necessary to endeavor to ascertain the route of the Israelites before we can attempt to discover where they crossed the sea. The point from which they started was Rameses, a place certain in the land of Goshen, which we identified with the Wadi-t-Tumeylat. They encamped at Succoth. At the end of the second day's journey the camping place was at Etham, "in the edge of the wilderness." Ex 13:20; Nu 33:6 Here the Wadi-t-Tumeylat was probably left, as it is cultivable and terminates in the desert. At the end of the third day's march for each camping place seems to mark the close of a day's journey the Israelites encamped by the sea, place of this last encampment and that of the passage would be not very far from the Persepolitan monument at Pihahiroth. It appears that Migdol was behind Pi-hahiroth and on the other hand Baalzephon and the sea. From Pi-hahiroth the Israelites crossed the sea. This was not far from halfway between the Bitter Lakes and the Gulf of Suez, where now it is dry land. The Muslims suppose Memphis to have been the city at which the Pharaoh of the exodus resided before that event occurred. From opposite Memphis a broad valley leads to the Red Sea. It is in part called the Wadi-t-Teeh, or "Valley of the Wandering." From it the traveller reaches the sea beneath the lofty Gebel-et-Takah, which rises in the north and shuts off all escape in that direction excepting by a narrow way along the seashore, which Pharaoh might have occupied. The sea here is broad and deep, as the narrative is generally held to imply. All the local features seem suited for a great event. The only points bearing on geography in the account of this event are that the sea was divided by an east wind. Whence we may reasonably infer that it was crossed from west to east, and that the whole Egyptian army perished, which shows that it must have been some miles broad. Full Article

The Bible Mentions "Egypt" Many Times

Exodus 34:18 - The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt . Genesis 46:7 - His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt . Jeremiah 2:18 - And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt , to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? Jeremiah 44:14 - So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape. Isaiah 19:22 - And the LORD shall smite Egypt : he shall smite and heal [it]: and they shall return [even] to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. 2 Kings 17:4 - And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt , and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as [he had done] year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. Exodus 23:15 - Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt : and none shall appear before me empty:) Exodus 10:13 - And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt , and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all [that] night; [and] when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. Exodus 9:25 - And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that [was] in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. Jeremiah 44:30 - Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life. Ezekiel 20:5 - And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt , when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I [am] the LORD your God; Numbers 11:18 - And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for [it was] well with us in Egypt : therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 1 Kings 8:16 - Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt , I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Joshua 5:6 - For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people [that were] men of war, which came out of Egypt , were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. Jeremiah 43:11 - And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt , [and deliver] such [as are] for death to death; and such [as are] for captivity to captivity; and such [as are] for the sword to the sword. Genesis 47:6 - The land of Egypt [is] before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest [any] men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. Ezekiel 29:12 - And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries [that are] desolate, and her cities among the cities [that are] laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egypt ians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. Exodus 12:42 - It [is] a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt : this [is] that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. Deuteronomy 16:1 - Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Deuteronomy 17:16 - But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt , to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Joshua 24:4 - And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt . Judges 6:8 - That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt , and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; Genesis 41:36 - And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt ; that the land perish not through the famine. Deuteronomy 13:5 - And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn [you] away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt , and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. Joshua 24:32 - And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt , buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. Joshua 5:5 - Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people [that were] born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt , [them] they had not circumcised. Genesis 45:23 - And to his father he sent after this [manner]; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt , and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. Exodus 8:17 - And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt . Ezekiel 30:6 - Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD. 2 Chronicles 6:5 - Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

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The Israelites’ Wandering: A Map of Their 40-Year Journey in the Wilderness

The story of the Israelites' wandering in the wilderness is one of the most well-known and powerful stories in the Bible. According to the Book of Exodus, after being led out of Egypt by Moses, the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness before finally reaching the Promised Land. But have you ever wondered exactly where they traveled during this time? By using maps, we can trace their journey through the wilderness and gain a deeper understanding of this powerful story.

The journey of the Israelites began at the Red Sea, where they crossed on dry ground after God parted the waters. From there, they traveled south to the area of Marah, where they found bitter water that was made sweet by a miracle from God. They then continued eastward to the desert of Sin, where they were provided with manna from heaven and quail to eat.

The Israelites then traveled to Mount Sinai, where they received the Ten Commandments and other laws from God. After spending several months at Sinai, they continued their journey northward towards the Promised Land, but their progress was slowed by their disobedience and lack of faith in God.

The Israelites continued to wander in the wilderness for another 38 years, traveling back and forth across the desert and encountering many challenges and trials along the way. They fought battles against other nations, complained about their lack of food and water, and even rebelled against Moses and God on several occasions.

Finally, after 40 years of wandering, the Israelites reached the Promised Land, which was located on the eastern shores of the Jordan River. By using maps, we can see the locations of the places where they camped, the routes they took, and the challenges they faced during their journey.

In conclusion, a map of the Israelites' 40-year journey in the wilderness can help us to better understand this powerful story and the faith and perseverance of the Israelites. By tracing their journey, we can see the locations of the places where they camped and the routes they took, and gain a deeper appreciation for their struggles and ultimate triumph. So why not take a journey through the wilderness with the Israelites and discover the power of their story?

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2. Israel’s Exodus from Egypt and Entry into Canaan

Possible route of the Exodus

Jordan River

Salt Sea (Dead Sea)

Great Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

Philistines

River of Egypt

Wilderness of Zin

Rameses (Tanis)

Wilderness of Shur

Kadesh-barnea

Wilderness of Paran

Arabah (Rift Valley)

Eastern Wilderness

On (Heliopolis)

Pi-hahiroth?

Wilderness of Etham

Sinai Peninsula

Ezion-geber

Noph (Memphis)

Gulf of Suez

Wilderness of Sin

Sinai Wilderness

Wilderness Camps

Gulf of Aqaba

Mt. Sinai? (Horeb)

0 40 80 120

Rameses Israel was thrust out of Egypt ( Ex. 12 ; Num. 33:5 ).

Succoth After the Hebrews left this first campsite, the Lord attended them in a cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night ( Ex. 13:20–22 ).

Pi-hahiroth Israel passed through the Red Sea ( Ex. 14 ; Num. 33:8 ).

Marah The Lord healed the waters of Marah ( Ex. 15:23–26 ).

Elim Israel camped by 12 springs ( Ex. 15:27 ).

Wilderness of Sin The Lord sent manna and quail to feed Israel ( Ex. 16 ).

Rephidim Israel fought with Amalek ( Ex. 17:8–16 ).

Mount Sinai (Mount Horeb or Jebel Musa) The Lord revealed the Ten Commandments ( Ex. 19–20 ).

Sinai Wilderness Israel constructed the tabernacle ( Ex. 25–30 ).

Wilderness Camps Seventy elders were called to help Moses govern the people ( Num. 11:16–17 ).

Ezion-geber Israel passed through the lands of Esau and Ammon in peace ( Deut. 2 ).

Kadesh-barnea Moses sent spies into the promised land; Israel rebelled and failed to enter the land; Kadesh served as the main camp of Israel for many years ( Num. 13:1–3, 17–33 ; 14 ; 32:8 ; Deut. 2:14 ).

Eastern Wilderness Israel avoided conflict with Edom and Moab ( Num. 20:14–21 ; 22–24 ).

Arnon River Israel destroyed the Amorites who fought against them ( Deut. 2:24–37 ).

Mount Nebo Moses viewed the promised land ( Deut. 34:1–4 ). Moses delivered his last three sermons ( Deut. 1–32 ).

Plains of Moab The Lord told Israel to divide the land and dispossess the inhabitants ( Num. 33:50–56 ).

Jordan River Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground. Near Gilgal, stones from the bottom of the Jordan River were placed as a monument of Jordan’s waters being divided ( Josh. 3:1–5:1 ).

Jericho The children of Israel captured and destroyed the city ( Josh. 6 ).

• The Researcher
• Podcast Interview: The Lost Sea
• The Exodus Enigma
• The Date of the Exodus
• The Sojourn in Egypt

Map of the Exodus from Egypt

• Proof of Mount Sinai in Arabia
• Exodus Mysteries Book
• Mount Sinai and the Apostle Paul
• Was Mount Sinai a Volcano?
• The Sea of the Exodus
• Wind and the Sea Crossing
• The Lost Sea of the Exodus
• Where Was Ancient Midian?
• Exodus Synopsis
• Return Policy
• Reader Reviews
• Dead Sea Topics
• Jerusalem Archaeology

The likely starting point of the Exodus was   Tel el-Dab’a   (ancient   Rameses ), in Goshen in the northeast Nile Delta ( Map 1 ).  My research, published in   The Lost Sea of the Exodus , placed the sea parting at the Gulf of Aqaba (Hebrew:   Yam Suph ), on the east side of the Sinai Peninsula. If so, Mount Sinai would lay further east in Arabia, and the Hebrews would have hurried through the peninsula to get there.

Map 1. Proposed Exodus Route Across the Sinai Peninsula.  Click to enlarge.

En route to Arabia, (Exod. 13:20; 14:2), Moses received a divine command in   Etham   to turn from the path that lead to the head of the gulf and, instead, enter the wilderness to encamp somewhere on its shore. The only accessible and sizeable beachhead lies near the midpoint of the gulf at   Nuweiba   ( Map 1 ). Suitable seafloor topography also extends toward Arabia from that point, albeit in very deep water.

What was the likely Exodus route between   Rameses   and   Nuweiba ?

Some investigators surmise that the Hebrews followed the   Darb el Hajj   (Arabic: “way of the pilgrimage”), a road developed for the Muslim Hajj after the 7 th -century emergence of Islam (see   Map 2 ). The first peninsula Hajj road was constructed ca AD 875 by the Egyptian governor under the Fatimid Caliph. Much of the route lacks archaeological evidence of more ancient use.   Darb el Hajj was a general term for various pilgrim routes leading to Mecca and the Sinai Peninsula route was called   Tariq al-Hajj al-Masri , meaning “the opening stage of the Hajj.” Several variations of this road developed, but the main route was always outfitted with stations provisioned in advance with water and supplies. Although this route linked the heads of the gulfs (Suez and Aqaba), it would have been a problematic path in the Exodus because it notoriously lacked water and fodder.

Map 2. Ancient Roads in the Sinai Peninsula . Click to enlarge.

There are three other historical routes across the Peninsula ( Map 2 ). The oldest, which followed the Mediterranean coast, was called “ways of Horus” by the Egyptians, and “Via Maris” (Latin: “way of the sea,” e.g., Latin Vulgate Matt. 43:15) by the Romans. The Bible called it the “way of the land of the Philistines,” but indicated that it was not used in the Exodus: “…when Pharaoh had let the people go, God led them   not  through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near…” (Exod. 3:17)

The oldest route connecting the heads of the gulfs was the   Darb esh-Shawi   (Arabic: “way of the heights”?). It also would have presented water and fodder limitations for the Hebrews.

Further south, the   Roman Road,   named for its depiction on the Roman-Byzantine (4 th -century AD)   Peutinger Table , passed just north of the traditional Mount Sinai. Ancient Aramaic, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic graffiti along this route indicate that it was used by Nabataeans prior to the Roman period and later by religious pilgrims. This route did provide some oasis stops, but it would have added much distance to the Hebrews’ trek across the Peninsula.

My research indicates that Moses did not follow any of the above routes. The Bible says that they took “the way of the wilderness of the   Red Sea   (Hebrew:   yam suph )” (Exod. 13:18);   yam suph referring to the Gulf of Aqaba.

The Hebrews left Egypt on the 15 th   of   Aviv , which fell close to the Spring Equinox (March 21) and coincided with the end of the Peninsula rainy season. Arabian explorer Alois Musil (1926) observed:

If the Israelites migrated from Egypt in the month of March and if there had been an abundance of rain on the peninsula of Sinai that year, they would have found rain pools of various sizes in all of the cavities and in all of the hollows of the various river beds, and they could have comfortably replenished their water bags and watered their flocks.

Considering these factors, the best conditions would have been offered by a route utilizing the extensive wadi (valley) network in the northern peninsula plateau. Not only do these wadis offer more passable terrain, they have a greater potential for providing water and vegetation. Following this line of thinking, explorer E. H. Palmer noted that:

In the larger wadies, draining as they do so extensive an area, a very considerable amount of moisture infiltrates through the soil, producing much more vegetation than in the plains. Sufficient pasturage for the camels is always to be had in these spots, and here and there a few patches of ground are even available for cultivation (Palmer 1872).

Map 1   lays out a feasible route through the network of low-lying wadis. The travel distance between   Rameses   and   Nuweiba   via this path is about 438 km (272 mi.). Given these circumstances, and the travel chronology in the book of Exodus, I estimate that the Hebrews crossed the Sinai Peninsula in as little as 18 days, an average of 15.1 miles per day.

Consult   The Lost Sea of the Exodus   for more details.

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The Exodus Route: Travel times, distances, rates of travel, days of the week

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Overview of the Exodus and Conquest:

In 1446 BC, the 700 km trip from Goshen (Tell el-Dab’a) to Mt. Sinai took a total of took 47 days. After travelling day and night 500 km from Goshen, Israel made the 19 km crossing of the Red Sea at the Straits of Tiran on day 25 then took 22 days to travel 200 km from the Red Sea Crossing to Mt. Sinai. Travel was easy for the 2-3 million Hebrews because there was a 20 km wide, flat coastal plain that hugged the eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez from Goshen to the Strait of Tiran, which the author calls, “The Exodus Highway”. On day 9 after leaving Goshen, they arrived at Succoth, adjacent to the turquoise mines of Serabit el-Khadim and waited for the Hebrew mining slaves to join the main group. On day 15 they reach the Straits of Tiran and pass the Egyptian Migdol watchtower stationed above the final Red Sea crossing point and on day 16 they reached the dead-end at Etham. God orders them to backtrack to the final Red Sea crossing camp beside the Migdol where God used Israel to bait Pharaoh to attack. On day 17, as Israel leaves Etham, it would take 4 hours for a passenger pigeon (cf. Eccl 10:20) to fly 400 km from the Egyptian watchtower (Migdol) back to Egypt with the message that Israel was trapped and wandering aimlessly. (If a passenger pigeon was not used, Israel travelled day and night arriving on day 7, leaving plenty of time for a message to get back to Egypt by horseback in 7 days and pharaoh to return in 7 days, maintaining a Red Sea crossing on Day 25.) For 8 days Israel camped at the Red Sea crossing point (days 17-24) while Pharaoh's army pursued them with 600 choice horse-drawn chariots (Exodus 14:6-9). On day 18 Pharaoh's army easily traveled the 400 km from Goshen to the Red Sea crossing in 7 days (days 17-24), at a rate of 57 km/day with horse-drawn chariots and arrived on day 24. The Egyptians were stopped on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez by an angel, about 36 km short of Israel’s camp. After crossing the Red Sea at the Straits of Tiran via the natural underwater land bridge on day 25, Israel travelled 3 days (day 25-27) on “The Exodus Highway” through the Wilderness of Shur and the land of Midian, then travelled 3 more days (day 28-30) and arrived at the second Red Sea camp, then one more day to reach the wilderness of Sin. The only difficult portion of the trip was the canyons between the Wilderness of Sin through Dophkah to Alush. Amazingly Scripture notes that only during this portion of the journey, they “travelled in stages” (Ex 17:1) because the terrain was narrow and difficult. Exactly 31 days after leaving Goshen they enter the Wilderness of Sin (Nisan 15 - Iyar 15: Ex 16:1). In the Wilderness of Sin Israel camped 8 days (day 31-38) to learn about the Manna/Sabbath day cycle. Leaving the Wilderness of Sin as a single group of 2-3 million, Israel arrived at Dophkah on day 39. Between Dophkah and Alush Israel travelled in small groups by “stages” through the 23 kilometers of mountain canyons to Alush on days 40-41. On days 41-42 Israel arrived in stages at Rephidim and complained about having no water. God told Moses that when he finally arrived at Mt. Horeb, he is to bring water out of the “split rock” as the main water supply for the 11 months stay camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. On the night of day 42 the Amalekites attack and the next morning Moses assembles an army, and his hands are held up high on a hilltop on day 43. That night Jethro arrives, and watches Moses judge the people all day long on day 44. Day 45 is the second sabbath and Jethro gives Moses his advice about delegating the judging duties to others. Day 46 Jethro returns home to Midian while Moses departs for Mt. Sinai arriving after dark on day 47 which is Sivan 1 (Ex 19:1). In the morning of day 47 Moses strikes and splits the rock at Mt. Horeb for a massive water supply for 3 million Hebrews. On day 48 Moses ascends Mt. Sinai for the first time and God recites the Ten Commandments orally. Moses descends and tells the people to take an oath to obey the laws of YHWH (Ex 19:3-8). On day 50 (Thursday, Sivan 4), God tells Israel to prepare for three days (Friday – Sunday) at the end of which God will descend upon Mt. Sinai. (Ex 19:10-11). On Pentecost Sunday (Sivan 7), day 53 from leaving Egypt, Mt. Sinai explodes (Heb 12:18) when God gives the law to Moses over a period of 40 days. Israel spent 343 days (11 lunar months and 19 days) camped in the Wilderness of Sinai (Num 10:11) while Moses received the law and Israel built the Tabernacle tent. The journey from Mt. Sinai through Ezion Geber (Numbers 33:35-36) to Kadesh Barnea, was 20 stops over a period of about 11 months. Israel spends 38 years camped at Kadesh Barnea located at modern Petra. Aaron died on the 1st day of the 5th month of the 40th year of the wilderness wandering (summer 1407 BC). Shortly after mourning Aaron for 30 days, the people left Mount Hor which was beside Petra (Kadesh) and moved south to the Red Sea (“Yam Suph”- Deut 1:40 – Gulf of Aqaba) passing a second time through Ezion Geber (Deut 2:8). They journeyed east to avoid the Edomites living in the mountains and began moving north. Before they crossed the Wadi Zered, Israel rebelled again with the result that God sends poisonous snakes to kill the people. In obedience to God, Moses sets up a pole with a snake to heal them. Those who had been bitten could look at the snake and be healed as a type of the crucifixion of Christ (Jn 3:14). They crossed the Wadi Zered at the south end of the Salt Sea and Moses spoke the words of the book of Deuteronomy at Iye-abarim. The conquest began and Israel passed directly through Dibon-gad and commenced the defeat of the Transjordan nations. While camped at Shittim (Tel Hammam) Israel mourned Moses for 30 days. In 1406 BC Israel crossed the Jordan on the 10th day of the 1st month of the 41st year (spring, 1406 BC), four days before the 41st Passover, which was exactly 40 years from when they left Goshen. They started counting sabbatical years and Jubilees after crossing the Jordan. (Num 33:38; 20:28; Deut 34:8; Josh 4:19; 5:10). Israel camped at Gilgal then defeated Jericho and Ai. They traveled to Shechem and built Joshua’s Altar. The Ark of the Covenant was positioned in the valley between Mt Gerizim and Mt. Ebal with half the tribes on each of the two mountain sides. The echo-ritual “curses and blessings ceremony” of Deut 27-28 were spoken across the valley to each of the six tribes on each side. From 1406-1400 BC Israel first defeated the northern Amorite Pentapolis, then second, the southern Amorite Pentapolis. They were unable to defeat the five Philistine Pentapolis cities (Ex 13:17-18; Deut 2:23; Josh 11:22; 13:2-3; Jud 1:18-19; 3:1-3) until the time of David. The Philistines had restricted Israel’s possession of the promised land to the central hill country until 1003 BC. After 6 years of conquest war, on the first Sabbatical year of 1399 BC, Israel moved the tabernacle from Gilgal to Shiloh which served as Israel’s first capital city for 305 years until the Philistines burned the city in 1094 BC. 

Introduction:

1.       Many Christians falsely assume there is little information contained in scripture about the 50 locations of the Exodus, much less the timing. Many preachers never give this subject a look stating that we don't even know for certain any more than 4 of the 50 Exodus stops.

2.       Scripture specifically tells us the total number of days it took to travel from Goshen to Sinai: 47

a.        The day they left Goshen: Nisan 15 (Num 33:3)

b.       The day they entered the Wilderness of Sin: Iyar 15 = Day 31 (Ex 16:1)

a.        The day they arrived at the final Sinai camp in the Wilderness of Sinai : Sivan 1 = day 47 (Ex 19:1)

2.       There is a wealth of information in scripture about many of the 50 Exodus locations. We know four locations for certain and using key clues in scripture, we are able to discern several others.

a.        Goshen

b.       Wilderness of Shur near el Bad in Midian, modern Saudi Arabia

c.        Ezion Geber near Elat on the Gulf of Aqaba

d.       Kadesh Barnea at modern Petra

e.       Dibon

f.         Shittim

g.        Mt. Nebo

h.       The location of the Jordan crossing in 1406 BC

3.       Using careful analysis, we have calculated the distances between each of the stops. We have calculated total distances as well as daily average travel rates.

4.       Miracles of red sea: there is a lot of detail in here about the canopy that protected from sun and rain and provided light to travel at night.

a.        Guidance: Exodus 13:21

b.       Shelter canopy from Sunlight and Rain: Isaiah 4:4-6; Psalm 105:39

c.        Protection from pharaoh's armies: Exodus 14:19, 24.

5.       Two verses say that God gave them supernatural help crossing the depths of the Red Sea:

a.        "Like the horse in the wilderness,  they did not stumble ; As the cattle which go down into the valley (red sea), The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest." Isaiah 63:11-13

• "Then He brought them out with silver and gold, And among His tribes  there was not one who stumbled . " Psalm 105:37

6.       Two verses say they travelled day and night with miraculous light for night travel. Standard daily travel rates in ancient times are therefore irrelevant.

a.        "The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." Exodus 13:21-22

b.       "“And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go ." (Nehemiah 9:12)

I. Exodus Route Travel Calendar by Steven Rudd: March 2020

A. Bible timing from Ramses to Mt. Sinai is 47 days:

1.               The Bible tells us that it was a 47-day journey from Goshen to Sinai .

a.                    They left Goshen on Passover (15 th day of the first month) and arrived at the Wilderness of Sin on the 15th day of the second month and arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai on the 1st day of the third month. This equals 47 days.

b.                    It took 24 days to travel 500 km to the Red Sea and they spent 8 days camped there waiting for Pharaoh's army to come. It took 22 days to travel 200 km to Sinai after the Red Sea including 8 days camping in the wilderness of Sin and 3 days battling the Amalekites at Rephidim.

2.               Num 33:3 and Exodus 12:51 tells us Israel was driven out of Egypt by Pharaoh the day after Passover night (Nisan 15)

a.                    "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord's Passover." Leviticus 23:5.

b.                    "They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel started out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians," (Numbers 33:3)

c.                     "Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said." Exodus 12:31.

d.                    "And on that same day (Nisan 15) the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts." Exodus 12:51

3.               Exodus 19:1 tells us they ended the trip when they reached the Wilderness of Sinai on the 1st day of the third month (Sivan 1) "In the third month (Sivan 1) after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai." Exodus 19:1

a.                    Since the Law of Moses was given on Pentecost, this means that they arrived on the first day of the third month, not the 15 th day of the third month.

b.                    “ On that very day (19:1b) points emphatically to the day of the new moon, the first day of the new lunar month, and not the whole first month (as NIV has it). This expression also recalls the time designations on this very day (12:17) and that very day (12:51), expressions almost identical to the one here.” (Believers Church Bible Commentary, Waldemar Janzen, Exodus 19:1, 2000 AD)

c.                     “ On the third new moon the closer definition “on that very day” shows that Hebrew ḥodesh, usually “month,” is here used in its original sense of “new moon.”” (Exodus, Jewish Publication Society, Nahum M. Sarna, Ex 19:1, 1991 AD)

d.                    If they arrived on the 15 th day of the third month, they arrived after Pentecost, missing an important messianic synchronism of where both the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ were revealed on Pentecost Sunday (Isa 2:2-5; Acts 2)

e.                    While the Tiran Red Sea crossing has time to spare in arriving at Sinai well in advance of Pentecost on day 47, the Nuweiba crossing forces them to arrive after Pentecost in a full 61-day journey from Goshen.

4.               Exodus 16:1 tells us that when they entered the Wilderness of Sin on the 15th day of the second month (Iyar 15)

a.                    Nisan 15 to Iyar 15 is exactly 31 days after leaving Goshen with a 30-day month.

b.                    "Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month (Iyar 15) after their departure from the land of Egypt." Exodus 16:1

c.                     Since the total trip was 47 days, arriving at the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 means they were only 22 days away from reaching the Mt. Sinai.

5.               Exodus 16:1: In 1446 BC Nisan and Iyar both had 30 days not 29 days .

a.                    A 30-day Hebrew month is confirmed by Josephus in Antiquities 2.316 when he say they had 30 days of food, meaning they ran out on the 31 st day when they entered the Wilderness of Sin.

b.                    “The lunar calendar measured time by lunations; a lunation is the interval of time, expressed in days, between two successive new moons. Each lunar month, beginning when the thin crescent of the new moon first becomes visible at dusk, averages just over 29½ days. The moon actually orbits the earth in about 27⅓ days; because the earth is meanwhile moving around the sun, it takes the moon 2 extra days to come to the same position between the sun and earth and produce a “new moon.”” (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Calendars, p 400)

c.                     It is also possible to have up to 4 consecutive 30 day lunar months:

                                                               i.       Nisan, Iyar and Sivan were 30 day lunar months: “the lunar year is divided into twelve months: 1–3, 7–9 have 30 days; 4–6, 10–12 have 29” (AYBD, Calendars, vol 1, p 818)

                                                             ii.       “Now, I want to  assume  that every month thereafter is 30 days long. (That is what we are looking for – can there be 5, consecutive, 30-day months?) So looking at the data, we see everything is fine – as annotated by “OK” in the far-right column till we see that the 5th consecutive 30-day month has added up to 150 days, yet the “real” moon has added up only to 148.753 days (that is, the real months can be no more than 149 days when rounded to whole days for calendar purposes), so our calendar is 1 day ahead if we insist on a 30-day month that last lunation (the red one – 30 days). But what we see is that that last calendar month must instead be 29 days so our calendar total is 149 to match the “real” moon of 148.753 days (rounded to 149) in 5 months. This illustrates that it is possible only to have 4 consecutive 30-day months and the calendar still works. … The conclusion: That no, five, consecutive lunations can exceed 148.88 days. So if  the month you stared with  was itself a 30-day month, then the 5th lunation including that starting 30-day month, will end up no greater than 148.88 days long, thus, you’d find that only 3 months after the 30-day month in which you began, you’d be forced to follow it with a 29 day, 5th month, to keep the calendar in-sync with the real moon .” (On the possibility of 5 consecutive 30-day months, William J.  Welker, 2015 AD)

6.               The Red Sea crossing was on day 25 from Goshen: (Iyar 9)

a.                    The author noticed an important fact that the Bible begins counting days after crossing the Red Sea but not before. For the first time in the route itinerary, Moses indicates Israel travelled 3 days to Marah in the Wilderness of Shur. There are only two stops to reach the hard calendar marker of day 31 at the Wilderness of Sin.

b.                    Israel travelled three days in the Wilderness of Shur (days 26-28) and arrived at Marah. They travelled one day and arrived at Elim on day 29. They travelled another day and arrived at 2 nd Red Sea camp on day 30. Finally, on day six after crossing the Red Sea, the entire 3 million Hebrews arrived at the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 which was Iyar 15 (Ex 16:1). Scripture tells us they travelled “3 days” from the Red Sea to Marah and that Moses arrived on day 31.

c.                     This is a total of six travel days after crossing the Red Sea to reach the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 from Goshen.

d.                    Counting six travel days back from day 31 (Iyar 15) we can be certain the Red Sea crossing was on day 25 (Iyar 9).

e.                    A Red Sea crossing at the Straits of Tiran on day 25 is a perfect fit for the timing and topography. No other candidate Red Sea crossing location is a perfect fit for a day 25 Red Sea crossing.

B. Ancient literary Sources confirm a 47-day journey from Goshen to Sinai:

1.         The 47-day exodus itinerary alone refutes the Nuweiba exodus route of Glen Fritz because even he admits his 555-mile (888 km) route cannot be travelled in less than 53 days. Fritz calculates Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai on day 64-65 and he added 12 “arbitrary” filler days to delay the arrival from day 53 to day 65.

2.         The 47-day journey predated Christianity by 200 years and is not a “late Rabbinic tradition” as Fritz and other commentators commonly suggest:

a.          “The biblical timing of Pentecost 50 days after Passover is not being disputed here. What is disputable is the late rabbinic tradition that Pentecost also commemorated "the giving of the law” . … It must be recalled that the 2nd century AD development of Rabbinic Judaism occurred after the AD 70 destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, which caused the rabbis to face the reality of a Judaism without sacrificial worship. This situation catalyzed an emphasis on the oral traditions of the Torah, which were recorded in the Mishnah ca. AD 200 , and subsequently expanded in the Gemara." (Exodus Mysteries, Glen Fritz, p450, 2019 AD)

b.         For Fritz to call oral traditions that were recorded in the Mishna in AD 200 a “late tradition” is puzzling since the Mishna represents one of the earliest written Jewish traditions extant today. Although the Babylonian Talmud could be considered a later tradition must of its content merely echoes the Mishna (AD 200) and the Tosefta (AD 250) and other traditions that predate Christianity by hundreds of years.

c.          It is well documented that the oral traditions in the Mishna predate Christianity by hundreds of years.

d.         The correct scholarly approach would be to say the earliest known written Jewish sources all unanimously confirm the 47-day journey where the Law was given on Pentecost and none of them provide any evidence for a 61-day journey.

e.         The correct scholarly approach would be to say that the 61-day exodus itinerary is without any confirmation from the earliest literary sources or traditions.

f.           The correct scholarly approach would be to say that the 61-day exodus itinerary is in fact a very late tradition.

3.         170 BC: book of Jubilees : Ex 24:12-18, Moses’ 6 th ascension

a.          “In the first year of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, in the third month on the sixteenth day of that month (Sivan 16) , the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Come up to me on the mountain, and I shall give you two stone tablets of the Law and the commandment, which I have written, so that you may teach them. ( Ex 24:12-18 )” (Book of Jubilees 1:1, 170 BC)

b.         The book of Jubilees confirms arrival before Pentecost: Day 60 was Moses 6 th Ascension: Ex 24:12-18

c.          The Book of Jubilees is referring to the 6 th ascension of Moses when he physically got the stone tablets. Moses orally heard the Ten Commandments on his third ascension but did not get the two tablets of stone until his 6 th ascension.

d.         Some misread the Book of Jubilees to say that Israel arrived on day 60 (14 th day of 3 rd month, Sivan 14) and then three days later, on day 62 (16 th day of 3 rd month, Sivan 16) God ascended Mt. Sinai with trumpet blasts, fire and thunder and gave the Law to Moses.

e.         The Jubilees specifies that the two tablets of stone were given on Moses’ 6 th Ascension up Mt. Sinai not his 1 st ascension: Ex 24:12-18

                                                               i.       Sivan 1: Israel arrives at Sinai. (Ex 19:1)

                                                             ii.       Sivan 2: On Moses’ 1 st ascension he returned to the camp with an oath for people: Ex 19:3-8.

                                                           iii.       Sivan 4: On Moses’ 2 nd ascension God said to get ready for the third day: Ex 19:8-14.

                                                           iv.       Sivan 7: On Pentecost Moses’ made his 3 rd  ascension and the mountain exploded with trumpet blasts, fire and thunder and gave orally the Law to Moses: Ex 19:18-25, 20:1-26 .

                                                             v.       Sivan 14: It was Moses’ 6 th (sixth) ascension that God gave the two tablets of stone of the Ten Commandments during Moses’ 40 days at the summit: Law to Moses: Ex 24:12-18

f.         The book of Jubilees proves a 47-day journey not 60 days because it says that Moses got the tablets of stone on Sivan 16 which would be day 63. Although we time the events of Ex 24:12-18 to Sunday Sivan 14, it doesn’t make any difference. We could easily shift the 6 th ascension to Sivan 16 (day 62) and it would make no difference because in either case, it would be impossible for Israel to arrive on day 60, have Moses ascend the mountain 5 times in two days before Moses Got the two tables of stone on the 6 th ascension as per  Ex 24:12-18.

4.         AD 70: Josephus : Three months: 90 days or three inclusive months

a.          “And going gradually on, he came to Mount Sinai, in three months’ time after they were removed out of Egypt” (Josephus Antiquities 3.62)

b.         Jewish inclusive counting is well documented in the three days (Friday to Sunday) in both the triumphal entry and the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (Luke 13:32). Several other examples of three day periods being less than 72 hours are Queen Esther (Esther 4:16 + 5:1), faithless Jews: (Matthew 27:63-64), starving servant: (1 Samuel 30:12-13). Most notably is the fact that 72 literal hours (three days and three nights) was called four days by Cornelius (Acts 10:3+9+23+24+30).

c.          In non-inclusive counting, three months means 90 days, which contradicts both those who say the journey took 60 days. Using this reasoning, if Josephus wanted to say 60 days, he would have said two months. So either Josephus was wrong or he was using inclusive counting.

d.         Josephus used standard inclusive counting because the exodus spanned parts of three months but literally 47 days, the same way Jesus was in the tomb parts of three days but literally 38 hours.

e.         The three months of Josephus are counted as 47 days: Nisan 15-30 (15 days); Iyar 1-30 (30 days); Sivan 1 (1 days).

f.           Josephus therefore actually confirms the earliest written Jewish traditions.

g.          Anybody who objects that Josephus confirms the 47-day exodus itinerary are forced to say Josephus actually recorded a 90-day journey, which contradicts their own 60-day exodus itinerary.

h.         The only two options in interpreting Josephus’ “three months” are to reject the 90 days as an error he made or confirmation of the 47-day itinerary.

i.            Josephus’ statement therefore agrees with all the other earliest literary sources that all confirm a 47-day exodus journey.

5.         AD 160: Seder Olam Rabbah : Ten commandments given day 47 on Pentecost: Sivan 6

a.          “For the next five days   Moses ascended the mountain, descended, told the people the words of the Omnipresent, and returned their answer to the Omnipresent. In the Third month, on the Sixth of the month , the Ten Commandments were given to them on a Sabbath day.” ( Seder Olam Rabbah 5:31 , Rabbi Yose ben Halafta, 160 AD)

b.         In a stunning confirmation of our exodus calendar, Sivan 6 falls on a Sabbath in both our chronology and Sedar Olam Rabbah’s chronology confirming a 47-day journey.

c.          Seder Olam dates Pentecost to Sabbath Sivan 6 (day 52) and we date Pentecost to Sunday Sivan 7 (day 53). This proves they arrived in Sivan 1 not Sivan 15.

d.         Rabbi Yose ben Halafta follows the first century tradition that Pentecost fell on different days as opposed the the Sadducees Moses and the New Testament that teaches Pentecost always fell on a Sunday. Seder Olam therefore is in error by saying Pentecost occurred on a Sabbath rather than a Sunday. This is just another in series of revisions where Jews in AD 160 at Zippori changed Masoretic Text and key chronological events in the Old Testament to disconnect Jesus Christ as the Messiah. In truth, Pentecost always fell on a Sunday and although they could not break the well-known synchronism between the Law of Moses and Christian Pentecost in Acts 2, they wanted to disconnect the day of the week for both event falling on the day Jesus rose from the dead.

6.         AD 400: Augustine : Calculates a 47-day journey and the synchronism of both laws given on Pentecost:

a.          In a stunning confirmation of our exodus Chronology, Augustine specifically states that the journey between Goshen and Sinai was 47 days.

b.         Augustine emphasized the direct messianic connection between both the Law of Moses and the Law Christ were given on Pentecost. This proves the journey was 47 days.

c.          “The Pentecost too we observe, that is, the fiftieth day from the passion and resurrection of the Lord, for on that day he sent to us the Holy Paraclete whom he had promised. This was prefigured in the Jewish Passover, for on the fiftieth day after the slaying of the lamb, Moses on the mount received the law written with the finger of God .” (Augustine, Against Faustus the Manichaean 32.12, 400 AD)

d.         “But, the fifty-day period is also praised in Scripture, not only in the Gospel, because the Holy Spirit came on the fiftieth day, but even in the Old Testament. Therein, fifty days are numbered from the celebration of the pasch by the killing of a lamb, to the day on which the law was given on Mount Sinai to the servant of God, Moses .’ This law was ‘written with the finger of God,’ and this finger of God the New Testament explicitly identifies with the Holy Spirit. For, when one Evangelist has: ‘By the finger of God, I cast out devils,’ another says this same thing thus: ‘By the spirit of God, I cast out devils.’ Who would not have this joy in the divine mysteries, when the redemptive doctrine shines with so clear a light, rather than all the powers of this world though they be infused with unwonted peace and happiness? Do not the Seraphim cry to each other, singing the praises of the Most High: ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts’? Thus the two Testaments agree faithfully in proclaiming the sacred truth. A lamb is slain, the pasch is celebrated, and after fifty days the law, written with the finger of God , is given in fear: Christ is slain, who was led ‘as a sheep to the slaughter,’ as the Prophet Isaias testifies, the true pasch is celebrated, and after fifty days the Holy Spirit, who is the finger of God, is given in love.” (Augustine to Januarius , Book 2, Letter 55, 400 AD)

e.         “ The law was given on the day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost . But I said I was going to prove that the Jews received the law on the fiftieth day from the Passover, or Pasch, which we both celebrate. You have it that they were commanded to kill the lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month, and to celebrate the Passover. Of that month there are seventeen days left, if you include the fourteenth day itself, on which the Passover begins. We come now to the desert, where the law was given, and this is what scripture says: But in the third month from when the people was brought out of Egypt (Ex 19:1) the Lord spoke to Moses that those who were going to receive the law should purify themselves in readiness for the third day, on which the law was to be given. So at the beginning of the third month a purification is commanded in readiness for the third day. And Passover begins ... —Pay close attention, please, or the numbers may set your heads spinning, and bring a fog down upon your understanding. I am opening the thing up as best I can, with the Lord's approval. If you help me with your attention, you will soon grasp what is being said; but if that's lacking, whatever I say will remain obscure, even if it is said ever so plainly ... — So the Passover is announced for the fourteenth day of the month; and a purification is ordered, so that the law may be given on the mountain, written by the finger of God; and the finger of God is the Holy Spirit. Remember, we proved this from the gospel. So a purification is proclaimed, in readiness for the third day of the third month. So from the first month deduct thirteen, and seventeen are left, as you begin from the fourteenth. Add the whole second month; it makes forty-seven days; from that day of purification to the third day, it makes fifty days . Nothing could be plainer, nothing more obvious, than that the Jews received the law on the day of Pentecost.” (Augustine Sermon 272B, On the Day of Pentecost, 417 AD)

7.         AD 500: Babylonian Talmud : Moses received the Torah on Pentecost proves a 47-day journey :

a.          “Said R. Eleazar, “All concur with respect to Pentecost that we do require ‘for you’ as well. How come? It is the day on which the Torah was given.” (Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim 68A , 500 AD)

8.         AD 810: George Syncellus: Arrived on new moon of third month = Sivan 1, Day 47

a.          “And on the third new moon of the Exodus of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, on this very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.” (Chronography of George Synkellos 151, William Adler, Paul Tuffin, p189, 2002 AD)

9.         AD 1735: Midrash, Tanḥuma : Moses received the Torah on Pentecost proves a 47-day journey:

a.          “And in the same manner, the holiday of Pentecost (Shavuot) for the giving of the Torah” ( Midrash, Tanḥuma C , Derech Hashem, Part Four, On Divine Service and the Calendar, Manuscript C, 1735 AD)

C. Calendar of events from Goshen to Sinai: Days 1-47

D. Calendar of events at Sinai from arrival to departure: Days 47 – 382

Detailed outline on the Eight Ascensions of Moses up Mt. Sinai: click here

E. The Eight Ascensions of Moses up Mt. Sinai:

• 1 st Ascension: Tuesday Sivan 2, Day 48 from Goshen: Ex 1 9:3-8
• Moses Ascends Mt. Sinai and returns with oath for people to obey the Law soon to be revealed.
• Moses returns to the camp and asks the people if they will keep the law soon to be revealed. The people reply yes.
• 2 nd Ascension: Friday Sivan 4, Day 50: Ex 19:7-14
• Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to give God the people's "yes" answer. God says to be ready on the third day (Sunday Sivan 7, day 53 from Goshen) when he will descend on the Mountain in fire: Ex 19:7-14. The people are told to walk to the base of the mountain from their camp and be ready for God's coming. God tells Moses to set up boundaries around the mountain so the people cannot break through, climb the mountain and die.
• The third day = Friday to Sunday: There is a direct triple correspondence between the Sinai, the Triumphal entry and the crucifixion since all were periods of three days between Friday and Sunday: Luke 13:32.
• As the Israelites waited as instructed the third day, for God to descend on Mt. Sinai, they suddenly looked due north 100 km and saw God in the wilderness of Paran. God " dawns from Seir " like a sunrise in its glory, until He is hovering directly over Mt. Sinai. The Israelites watched in wonder and were amazed at the beauty and splendor of God as He came closer and closer to them where they stood. One of the most interesting facts about the Wilderness of Paran, is its connection with God's appearing at Mt. Sinai. When Israel was encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Mt. Al-Lawz), God thundered, in a volcanic level display that terrified the Israelites. But three verses explicitly tell us that God dawned from the north like a sunrise, or like Elijah's small cloud the size of a man's fist in the distance that became a storm (1 Kings 18:44). God dawned from Mt. Seir until he came to Mt. Sinai and made the mountain turn to fire before Israel. They were terrified. The four key verses that describe "dawning from the north" are: Deut 33:2; Isa 63:1-2; Judg 5:4; Hab 3:3-7. 40 years later, when Israel was at Mt. Seir, God gave the "go ahead" to finally start their way to the promised land by the command, "Now turn North". In fact Mount Seir is absolute due south of Jerusalem and absolute due north of Mt. Sinai in modern Saudi Arabia. There are several passages that repeat this pattern of God coming "from the North". Most notably is Ezekiel's vision where God came from a distant storm in the North finally to overshadow him. (Ezekiel 1:4) Job describes God as coming from the North in golden splendor. (Job 37:22-23) Lucifer, the king of Babylon describes God's throne as being in the far north. (Isaiah 14:13-14) Psalm 48:1-2 describes Jerusalem as being located in the "far north". Further detailed study .
• 3 rd Ascension: Pentecost Sunday, Sivan 7, Day 53: Ex 20:18-25; 20:1-26

a.        God descends on Mt. Sinai in fire and He calls Moses to climb the mountain. Ex 19:20

b.       Moses hears the Ten Commandments and other laws including building altars.

c.        God tells Moses to go back down and warn the people again to stay away from the mountain so they will not die, then come up again ( 4th ) with Aaron. Ex 19:21

• 4 th Ascension: Ex 19:24, Sivan 9, Day 55

a.        Moses ascends with Aaron only where Ten Commandments and other laws are repeated for Aaron who hears the Ten Commandments and various other laws found in Exodus chapters 20-23

b.       Moses and Aaron. God tells Moses to descend and return with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders of Israel. Moses goes back down and tells the people what God has said. Deut 24:1-3

c.        Moses descends and writes down the words in the Book of the Law, which will eventually be placed on the side of the ark. Ex 24:1-4

d.       Moses builds an alter with 12 pillars at the foot of the mountain for the twelve tribes. He then sprinkles the alter with blood. Ex 24:4-6

e.       Moses read the book of the law to the people and after they agreed, he sprinkled the people with blood of the covenant. Ex 24:7-8

• 5 th Ascension: Ex 24:1; 9-11 Sivan 11, day 57
• Moses now returns to the mountain with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders of Israel. After seeing God and eating the group descend to the foot of the mountain. Ex 24:9-11
• 6th Ascension: Sunday Sivan 14, day 60-99: Ex 24:12-18
• Moses begins 40 days on the Mountain and receives two tables of stone:
• Day 60-99 inclusive counting equals 40 days ending on day 99 after leaving Egypt
• God calls Moses up with Joshua to the mountain to receive the two tablets of stone with the ten commandments written by the finger of God. Ex 24:12
• Moses spends 40 days on the mountain ( 6th ) where God reveals the plan for the tabernacle. Exodus chapters 25-31
• After 40 days, Aaron makes the golden calf as Moses was on the mountain for 40 days. In one of the most fascinating interaction between a man and God in the Bible , God tells Moses He will kill all the Hebrews who sinned and make Moses into a great nation. Moses pleads for the people. Then God changes his mind and says he won't kill them. Moses physically throws 10 commandments at the people who had made the golden calf, rebukes Aaron. Moses grinds up the golden calf and makes them drink the gold dust. Then Moses commanded the Levites to kill about 3000 of the idol worshippers. Ex 32:7-29
• 7th Ascension: Day 100 from leaving Goshen: Ex 32:30-33:23
• The next day, Moses climbed Mt. Sinai ( 7th ). God tells Moses is to take them into the promised land with God's angel as protection, but God himself will not go with them. Moses goes down the mountain. God strikes down a number of the Hebrews who sinned. Ex 32:30-35
• When the people hear that God's angel will lead them but God himself will not go with them, the people get sad and they remove all their jewelry. Ex 33:2-6
• Moses continues to plead with God for the people and says, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" God says He will show Moses his Glory on the Mountain. Ex 33:18-23
• 8th Ascension: Days 102 - 141 days from Goshen (40 days inclusive): Ex 34:1-9; 2 Cor 3.
• God tells Moses to cut out two replacement tablets and God calls Moses back up to Mt. Sinai ( 8th ), where God passes by while Moses was in the cleft of the rock.
• Again Moses asks God to join them on the journey to the promised land. God changes his mind finally and tells Moses he will lead them to the promised land.
• Moses spends forty more days on the mountain, then returns.
• God said he would perform new miracles and Moses face is shining in view of the people so he puts a veil over his face. Ex 34:1-9; 2 Cor 3.

F. Calendar of events between Sinai and Kadesh Barnea: about 11 months

1.        Israel departed Sinai on Day 382 after leaving Goshen

a.        "Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony;" Numbers 10:11

b.       Israel departs from Sinai for promised land after spending 11 months, 5 days at Sinai.

c.        Since they left on the 14th day of the first month, this means they had been traveling one year, one month and one week, since leaving Egypt.

d.       Using the syntax of “year:month:week” for the amount of time they spent at Sinai we get: 1:1:1 = 1 month:1 week:1 day.

2.        They navigated about 20 stops over a period of between 10.5 and 11 months between Sinai and Kadesh Barnea

a.        "Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh." Numbers 20:1

b.       They arrived at Kadesh Barnea in the first of the month of the third year or exactly 24 months after leaving Egypt.

c.        They celebrated their second Passover at Sinai, then leave almost immediately afterwards for Kadesh. They arrived at Kadesh and immediately celebrated their third Passover.

3.        They spend 38 continuous years at Kadesh Barnea (they do not leave and come back), then depart for the Jordan in the 40th year.

a.          Many commentators mistakenly believe Num 20:1 was the 40th year , but they are wrong.

b.         The verse tells us they arrived at Kadesh in the first month, but does not tell us the year!

c.          It does not say, "the first month in the 40th year".

d.         Since Israel left Sinai in the second month of the second year after leaving Egypt (14 months), this means they arrived at Kadesh in the first month of the third year after leaving Egypt or 24 months.

e.         More details: Israel spent 38 continuous years at Kadesh Barnea

G. Calendar of events between Kadesh Barnea and the Jordan River: about 9 months

1.       Israel Crossed the Jordan exactly 40 years after leaving Goshen to the day:

a.        Aaron died on the 1st day of the 5th month of the 40th year of the wilderness wandering (summer 1407 BC).

b.       Shortly after mourning Aaron for 30 days, the people left Mount Hor, defeated the Transjordan nations, and then mourned for Moses 30 days.

2.       They crossed the Jordan on the 10th day of the 1st month of the 41st year (spring, 1406 BC), four days before the 41st Passover, which was exactly 40 years to the day they left Goshen.

3.       They started counting sabbatical years and Jubilee after crossing the Jordan. (Num 33:38; 20:28; Deut 34:8; Josh 4:19; 5:10)

III. Understanding Jewish dating and times:

A. Jewish days started at sundown not midnight:

• The entire world today uses the Roman method of reckoning days from Midnight to Midnight.
• Jewish days began at sundown. This means that if it is 5 pm on a Friday night and you are just getting off work, two hours later (Roman time 7 PM) would actually be Saturday.
• This is helpful to know because in the Wilderness of Sin they arrived on a Saturday, and after sunset, that evening while they were in the camp, God revealed the Sabbath for the first time using manna as an instructor. So from Roman time, God revealed the Sabbath on Saturday evening 8 PM, but to the Jews, it was a the 1st day of the week (Sunday).
• We are very glad because the Jewish method of time keeping would be awkward to implement today.

B. Jewish inclusive reckoning method of counting days:

• Biblical Jews counted days differently from how we count today. Jews used the inclusive counting system .
• Jesus was crucified on a Friday and rose from the dead on the first day (Sunday) Three days and three nights: Friday crucifixion - Sunday resurrection. For us this would only be two days, but for Jews it was three days.
• On the Friday before "Palm Sunday", exactly one week before Jesus died, Jesus said: Luke 13:32 "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today [Fri] and tomorrow [Sat] , and the third day [Sun] I reach My goal."
• Even during the Exodus there is an excellent example of Jewish inclusive time keeping. The Bible says: "The Lord also said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow , and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day , for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:10-11
• Notice that even Jesus counted three days as a duration from Friday to Sunday. He started counting today as day one.
• We don't count this way. Today is day 0. For the Jews today is day 1.
• We need to keep this in mind when calculating days the way the Jews did.
• For example, when it says they went three days into the wilderness of Shur after crossing the Red Sea, this would be a Monday to Wednesday duration for the Jews.
• They counted a day even if there was only one hour left in that day.
• For a full discussion about Jewish time keeping see this .

IV. Calculating Exodus dates and times:

A. Calculating the days of the week at the Wilderness of Sin: Day 31 from Goshen

• The primary way we have used to calculate the days of the week for the Exodus journey is based solely on their visit to the Wilderness of Sin. It is there God first revealed the Sabbath.
• We believe with some level of confidence, that we have enough information to actually calculate the days of the week for the journey between the Red Sea and Mt. Sinai.
• In Ex 16:1 God revealed the Sabbath for the very first time in world history. Contrary to the unbiblical ravings of Seventh-day Adventists, Adam and Abraham never kept the weekly seventh day Sabbath (Saturday). In fact the word Sabbath is never even used once in the book of Genesis. The Sabbath was a Jewish holy day that was abolished by God when he nailed the first covenant to the cross. Col 2:14-17 clearly teaches that the Law of Moses, including the 10 commandments , were nailed to the cross. The New Testament passage specifically states that Christians are free to eat "unclean foods" (pork) and that all the system of Jewish holy days, yearly (Passover), monthly (new moon) and weekly (7th day Sabbath) are all nailed to the cross . Christians do not keep the Jewish Sabbath, but worship on the first day of the week: Sunday. Christians assembled every 1st day (Sunday) for the Lord's Supper: Acts 20:7 and are commanded to give every Sunday: 1 Cor 16:2.
• In Ex 16, It was the 7 th day of the week when Moses revealed the sabbath cycle. We know this because the day after was the first day of work, namely Sunday or the 1 st day of the week. In other words, when God said to Moses on the 7 th day these words: "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." Exodus 16:4-5. These words would have been spoken on the Sabbath they arrived and grumbled about having no food. The very next day had to be a Sunday, or the 1st day of the week.
• What is clear, is that God used Manna to teach them, for the first time, about the weekly Sabbath day. In order to do this, it would mean that they are camped in the Wilderness of Sin for the full week (Sunday - Saturday).
• Since manna fell in the early morning and melted by mid-day, this also proves that God instructed Moses the words of Exodus 16:4-5 on the day before the first morning Manna fell: Saturday.
• From this, we can quite safely determine that they arrived in the Wilderness of Sin on a Saturday and grumbled about being hungry. God gave them Manna for 6 days, then on the Sabbath they rested for the first time in world history. Then they departed early Monday morning to continue the journey in stages, since the terrain ahead was difficult and narrow.
• The Holy Spirit has told us in Exodus 16:1, that they arrived in the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 after leaving Goshen which was the 15 th day of the second month and left the wilderness of Sin on day 39. This leaves 8 days to travel from the Wilderness of Sin till they arrived on day 47 at Mt. Sinai. We know this because we are told they arrived in Sinai on the 1st day of the third month or day 47 after leaving Goshen. They might have even traveled at night. The Bible says that they travel by night by the pillar of fire.
• Now that we have determined the day they arrived and left the Wilderness of Sin, we can use this as a benchmark to determine the days of the week before and afterwards.

B. Calculating the day of the week they crossed the Red Sea: Sunday day 25

• In a most natural calculation backwards from the wilderness of Sin, we discover something incredible, that they crossed the Red Sea on Sunday, Iyar 9. This is a shadow of the fulfillment of the day of First Fruits (Lev 23:10-12) which always fell on a Sunday. Israel was "saved" by coming through the Red Sea. This would fit the New Testament antitype of water baptism very well. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 10:1-4 that passing through the Red Sea with the wall of water on either side and the cloud over head was an antitype of our full immersion into Christ for the remission of our sins. Israel was "baptized into Moses" and Christians are Baptized into Christ. The Hebrews were saved from the slavery of Egyptian bondage, Christians are saved from the slavery to sin. Any Hebrew who refused to cross the Red Sea and be Baptized into Moses would be killed the Egyptian army. Likewise anybody today who is not water baptized will be lost in hell because their sins are not forgiven. See these verses: Mk 16:16; Acts 2:28; 22:16; Rom 6:2-4; 1 Pet 3:21 and take this on line interactive study on water baptism .
• Rom 6:3-4 tells us that our baptism is a symbol of the death burial and resurrection of Christ and that we are raised from the dead to new life when we rise from the waters of Baptism. Since Christ was raised from the dead on a Sunday and since water baptism is a symbol of this resurrection and since the crossing of the Red Sea was an antitype of water baptism, it is most natural to expect that God would orchestrate, through his power and providence, that Israel would be baptized into Moses on a Sunday.
• Israel crossed the Red Sea on a Sunday, Iyar 9, on day 25 after leaving Goshen.

C. Calculating the day of the week of Passover: Wednesday

• Since the Bible tells us the fact that the entire trip was 47 days from Goshen to Sinai, we can now calculate the day of the week that Passover fell upon when they left Goshen.
• This is done by knowing they arrived on a Saturday at the Wilderness of Sin, which the Bible tells us is day 31 after leaving Goshen (Ex 16:1)
• Passover (Nisan 14) was 32 days before they arrived at the Wilderness of Sin.
• Counting back the days of the week makes Nisan 14 a Wednesday.
• They killed the lamb on Wednesday during the day, ate it after sunset on Nisan 15 (Wed night) and departed the following day (Thursday) during daylight hours.

D. Calculating the day of the week of Pentecost: Sunday day 53

• Pentecost means "the 50th day" after Passover. But the counting did not always start immediately after Passover as we will see.
• Recent Jewish tradition states that the Law was given on Pentecost, which is 50 days after the first Sabbath following Passover. Although we cannot trace this Jewish tradition very far back in history, it is very likely correct. On the other hand even the Jews of Jesus' time were notorious at adding to or changing God's Law.
• Pentecost always fell on a Sunday . Pentecost was calculated by counting 50 days, where day #1 is the first Sabbath after Passover. Since Passover could fall on any day of the week, sometimes there was up to a 6 day wait until the first Sabbath came by and you started counting the 50 days. When that Sabbath came, it was day one, then you would count seven additional Sabbath days for a total of 49 days. They next day after the seventh Sabbath was Pentecost.
• This means that if Passover fell on a Sunday, for example, they would not start counting the fifty days until the next Sabbath 6 days later.
• The actual number of days between Passover and Pentecost could vary from exactly 50 days if Passover fell on a Friday to as many as 56 days if Passover fell on a Sunday.
• On day 47 from Goshen, they arrived in the Wilderness of Sinai on a Monday.
• Pentecost fell on the Sunday after the next Sabbath day. This was day 53 after leaving Goshen.
• On Pentecost, Moses ascended ascends Mt. Sinai and returns with law (Ex 19:3-6). Jewish tradition fits very nicely into this time scale.

E. God "Dawned from Seir on Mt. Sinai" on Pentecost Sunday 1446 BC

1.        Day 47 (Sivan 1) On Monday Israel arrives at Sinai and Moses gave them water out of the Rock at Mt. Sinai that was promised several days earlier at Rephidim (Meribah) .

1.       Day 48: (Sivan 2) 1 st ascension of Moses: Ex 19:3-8. Moses ascends Mt. Sinai and returns with oath for people to obey the Law soon to be revealed (Ex 19:3-6)

2.        On Friday Sivan 4, (day 50) Moses ascends Mt. Sinai 2 nd time. God says be ready on the third day which was Pentecost Sunday (Ex 19:8-14). Moses told them that God would descend on Mt. Sinai three days later and to prepare themselves during these three days. Friday was the only day they had to wash their clothes because the next day was the Sabbath. This may be where the first century tradition that “preparation day” was their word for “Friday” because on Friday they prepared for God on Pentecost.

a.          The Bible says: "The Lord also said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow , and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day , for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:10-11

b.         This means the duration would be a Friday - Sunday. This method of counting is typical of the inclusive counting system of the Jews. This further illustrates how Jesus was in the tomb three days, yet it was a duration of Friday 3 PM to Sunday 6 AM.

c.          This matches the three day sequence of the Triumphal entry: "And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today [Friday] and tomorrow [Saturday], and the third day [Sunday] I reach My goal.’" (Luke 13:32)

d.         This matches the three day sequence of Friday crucifixion being raised the third day on Sunday.

3.        Counting the day after the 7 th sabbath makes Pentecost day 53 after leaving Goshen on Thursday Nisan 15.

4.        God dawned from Seir and descend upon Mt. Sinai on Pentecost Sunday (day 53, Sivan 7) as described in Hebrews 12.

IV. Calculating distances between stops: Red Sea to Sinai

V. Calculating rates of travel from Goshen to Sinai: 700 km in 47 days

A. Examples of historic rates of travel:

1.        Israel miraculously travelled day AND NIGHT and therefore walked far greater daily distances than under normal human conditions. This means that traditional rates of travel are no applicable to the Exodus itinerary: Exodus 13:21; Num 9:21; 14:14; Deut 1:33; Neh 9:12; Ps 78:14

a.        "The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light,  that they might travel by day and by night ." (Exodus 13:21)

b.       "If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or  in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out ." (Numbers 9:21)

c.        “You  go before them  in a pillar of cloud by day and  in a pillar of fire by night ” Num 14:14.

d.       "who goes before you on your way,  to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go ." (Deuteronomy 1:33)

e.       “To light for them the way  in which they were to go ” Neh 9:12.

f.         “He  led them  with the cloud by day and  all the night with a light of fire ” Ps 78:14.

2.        Scripture gives us a daily travel rate of 22 km per day:

a.        "It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea." (Deut 1:2)

b.       A direct route from Mt. Maqla/Lawz to Kadesh Barnea at Petra via Ezion Geber is 250 km which calculates a daily travel rate of 22 km per day. This is likely the time caravans would take to make the journey on camels. Camels and humans walk at the same rate of 5 km per hour. This allows for only 5 hours of travel a day. The Hebrews likely travelled most of the day and even during the night.

3.        800 km in 21 days from Riblah to Babylon = 53 km per day

a.        "For twenty-one years Nabopolassar had been king of Babylon, when on 8 Abu [15 August 605 BC] he went to his destiny; in the month of Ululu Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon and on 1 Ululu [7 September 605 BC] he sat on the royal throne in Babylon." (Nebuchadnezzar Babylonian Chronicles cuneiform tablet lines 9-11)

b.       From the time news of Nabopolassar’s death in Babylon reached Nebuchadnezzar in Judea and then for Nebuchadnezzar to travel to Babylon to claim the throne was only 3 weeks (21 days).

c.        Nebuchadnezzar set up his military headquarters at Riblah: "Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah ." (2 Kings 25:20)

d.       Within a three-week window, news of Nabopolassar’s death had to travel from Babylon to Riblah AND Nebuchadnezzar then had to travel from Riblah to Babylon. The use of passenger pigeons would be impossible to get a message from Babylon to Riblah, given it was a temporary outpost and Pigeons needed to be raised at Riblah and transported to Babylon to be useful as messengers back to Riblah.

e.       If we assume that Nebuchadnezzar took a direct easterly route through Palmyra/Tadmor (2 Chron 8:4) to the Euphrates, then south to Babylon, this journey was 800 km one way. This is the most likely route.

f.         A message that Nabopolassar had died could easily arrive from Babylon in about 7 days on horseback at a rate of 110 km per day if the horse was in top shape.

4.        In AD 1814, Sam Dale (1772-1841), traveled on horseback 670 miles (1072 km) in eight days from Georgia to New Orleans in winter to deliver instructions from Washington D.C. to General Jackson during the War of 1812. This computes to a daily travel rate of 134 km per day on horseback.

5.        In AD 1893, John Berry won the 1,000-mile (1600 km) race from Chaldron, Nebraska to the Chicago World’s Fair in a time of 13 days and 16 hours. Berry and his horse “Poison” covered the final 130 miles in 24 hours. Veterinarians examined Poison after the race and pronounced that the horse was in good condition. This computes to a horseback travel rate on of 114 km per day for 14 days to make the 1600 km trip.

7.        These seemingly impossible travel rates very much echo the fact that during the Exodus, news Israel was “trapped in the wilderness at Etham” 430 km to Egypt and then Pharaoh had to return 430 km to the Straits of Tiran where Israel was camped at the Red Sea. Passenger Pigeons flew back to Egypt in 5 hours that were sent from the Migdol overlooking the Hebrew camp at the Red Sea. This gave Pharaoh 7 days to easily travel the 430 km. A horseback rider could travel 430 km from the Straits of Tiran back to Egypt in only 4 days.

B. Daily travel rates from Goshen to Sinai: 700 km in 47 days

1.       You must also keep in mind the supernatural help that God gave the Hebrews during the Exodus.

a.        Nehemiah 9:12 and Exodus 13:21 says they traveled day and night by the light of the pillar of fire.

b.       Isaiah 63:11-13 and Psalm 105:37 say God miraculously prevented any of the 3.5 million from tripping during the Red Sea crossing. Young, old or crippled did not stumble once.

2.       There are only a 3-stops mentioned in the Bible between Goshen and the Red Sea: Succoth, Etham and the final the Red Sea camp before crossing. This has led many to wrongly assume it took only three day from Goshen to the Red Sea.

3.       Some people falsely assume the trip took only seven days. This assumption is based upon an inference about the 7 days of unleavened bread which was a memorial of when Israel left Egypt so quickly, that they did not have time for their bread to rise.

a.        But nowhere does the Bible say they ate unleavened bread for 7 days, only that there would be a seven-day period to remember that first day they left with unleavened bread. Day two, they ate leavened bread again.

b.       The Bible does not say, "Because you ate unleavened bread for 7 days after leaving Egypt, you will east unleavened bread for 7 days each year as a memorial."

c.        Instead the Bible says, (paraphrased) "You will not eat leaven for 7 days in remembrance of that one day you ate unleavened bread, when you first left Egypt.

4.       The Bible does tell us that the entire 700 km trip from Egypt to Mt. Sinai took 47 days.

a.        It was day 25 when they crossed the Red Sea and day 47 when they reached Sinai.

b.       It took 17 days to travel 500 km to the Red Sea and they spent 8 days camped there waiting for Pharaoh's army to come. We included the 16 km Red Sea crossing in the 500 km.

c.        It took 22 days to travel 200 km to Sinai after the Red Sea including 7 days camping in the wilderness of Sin and 2 days battling the Amalekites at Rephidim 3 days for the visit of Jethro at Rephidim including a second Sabbath day before reaching Sinai.

5.       Distance traveled from Egypt to Jebel Al-Lawz based upon actual route is 700 Km. It is 400 km line of sight as the bird flies.

a.        From Goshen to the crossing point of the Red Sea is 500 KM. Israel passed the Red Sea camp under the Migdol at 436 km from Goshen, then travelled 24 km to Etham at 460 km, then 24 km back to the Red Sea camp at 484 km and crossed the Red Sea (16 km) for a total of 500 km.

b.       These distances include the Etham and back the way they came, to the camp at the Red Sea before they crossed.

c.        Etham was 24 km past the point where they crossed, so the round trip was 48 km extra.

d.       The distance Pharaoh's army traveled from Goshen to where the pillar of cloud stopped them is 400 km. The angel stopped the Egyptian army on the coast of the Gulf of Suez 36 km short of reaching the Hebrew Red Sea camp which was 436 km from Egypt.

e.       It was 16 km (10miles) across the Straits of Tiran. The straight-line diagonal track ran north of the Enterprise Passage, not through it, to the shores of Arabia in the Wilderness of Shur.

f.         After they crossed into the wilderness of Shur, the distance to the camp in the wilderness of Sinai was 200 km.

6.       Average rates of travel must be based upon the total distance and the actual days they were moving. The total distance is 700 km and the total number of actual travel days is 29.

7.       Between Goshen and Sinai there were 18 rest days:

a.        7 rest days at the Red Sea before crossing waiting for pharaoh to arrive.

b.       7 rest days in wilderness of Sin.

c.        3 stationary days battling the Amalekites in Rephidim.

d.       1 rest day for the second sabbath.

8.       700 km between Goshen and Sinai their daily rate of travel was 24 km (14 miles) per day.

a.        Total distance Goshen to Sinai is 700 km.

b.       47 total days between Goshen and Sinai.

c.        18 rest days between Goshen to Sinai.

d.       29 travel days between Goshen and Sinai.

e.       700 km / 29 travel days = 24 km per day (14 miles per day).

9.       500 km between Goshen and the Red Sea crossing their daily rate of travel was 29 km (17 miles) per day.

a.        Total distance is 500 km in 24 total days but only 17 travel days = 29 km (17 miles) per travel day.

b.       There were 7 rest days while camped as bait at the Red Sea waiting for Pharaoh to arrive.

c.       Israel travelled 17 days and arrived at the Red Sea on day 17, which includes a night camp (day 9) at Succoth to collect the Hebrew slaves at the local turquoise mines at Serabit el-Khadim and Wadi Nasb. Messengers could be sent ahead of the main group to the miners in order to bring the Hebrew miner to the shoreline camp at Succoth.

d.        As Israel began to backtrack from Etham on day 17 it took only 4 hours for a passenger pigeon to travel the 400 km back to Egypt at 100 km per hour from the Migdol military watchtower which directly overlooked the Hebrew camp. (5 hours at 80 km per hour). Pharaoh would understand the topography of the area that he could arrive before Israel came back up the coast towards Egypt just past Succoth before they would have an eastern escape route. Pharaoh was triggered by the dead end and backtrack at Etham even before Israel reached the final Red Sea camp on day 17.

e.       Pharaoh easily travelled the 400 km in 7 days with 600 horse drawn chariots at a rate of 57 km per day (34 miles per day) and arrived on day 24 or sooner if he drove faster or longer each day. Navel support of supplies down the coast of the Gulf of Suez by ship would have made the trip even faster.

f.        Israel crossed the Red Sea on day 25.

10.   200 km between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai there were 11 rest days:

a.        22 total days between Red Sea and Sinai.

11.   200 km between the Red Sea and Sinai their daily rate of travel was 18 km per day.

a.       22 total days between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai.

b.        11 rest days between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai.

c.       11 travel days between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai

d.       The average daily rate from the red sea to Sinai was 200 km / 11 actual travel days = 18 km (11 miles) per day.

12.   We would predict that their rate of travel would be lower after crossing the Red Sea, given the urgency of fleeing Egypt was gone. The rates of travel figures are realistic easily possible for a large crowd. Keep in mind that God gave them miraculous help and they traveled day and night and Israel could have arrived at the Red sea in 7 days.

a.        Daily travel rate before crossing is 29 km per day.

b.       Daily travel rate after crossing is 18 km per day.

13.   Herodotus said that the same basic area was traveled at a rate of 38 km per day.

a.        Herodotus (450 BC) said that the 150 km trip from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea (north tip of the Gulf of Suez) was a four days journey.

b.       This means they traveled 38 km (23 miles) per day.

c.        "Psammetichus left a son called Necos, who succeeded him upon the throne. This prince was the first to attempt the construction of the canal to the Red Sea - a work completed afterwards by Darius the Persian - the length of which is four days' journey , and the width such as to admit of two triremes being rowed along it abreast. (Herodotus 2.158)

d.       Considering they miraculously travelled day and night, the 3.5 million Hebrews travelled much slower Herodotus indicates was possible.

VI. Chronological markers of the Exodus

2.       In 1446 BC Israel left Egypt exactly 430 years after Jacob entered Egypt “to the day”:

a.        "And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:41)

3.       In 1406 BC Israel crossed the Jordan River 40 years “to the day”:

a.        "While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain." (Joshua 5:10-11)

By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections .

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Map of the exodus and wilderness journey (9780794606442).

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• Born in Sariwon, Korea
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Map of the Israelite Journey: Out of the Wilderness, Into the Promised Land

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The Exodus Itineraries

9 minute read

Reading itineraries has a similar effect on the mind as reading genealogies . But, it’s worth ploughing through them for the same reason we should suffer the name lists – there’s often more in there than meets the eye. The Exodus itineraries are no exception.

There are three main sources in the Hebrew Bible for the Israelites’ itinerary through the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan:

• Numbers 33 – It sticks fairly closely to an itinerary format, i.e. “They set out from X and camped at Y”, making it quite easy to draw up a list of all the places the Israelites passed through.
• The narratives found in Exodus and Numbers – This itinerary takes a little more work to extract, but it’s not too much hassle. It begins in Rameses (Exodus 12:37) and ends on the plain of Moab (Numbers 22:1).
• Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy 1-3 – Here the Israelites’ journey begins at Mt Sinai (Deuteronomy 1:19) and ends in the valley opposite Beth-peor (Deuteronomy 3:29).

Overview of the itineraries

Here’s a short summary of each itinerary. Bear in mind that most of the places mentioned in all three sources have not been firmly identified, 1 neither does their location really matter for what we’re dealing with in this post. So we’re sticking with the traditional locations for now.

The Israelites leave Rameses (Nu 33:3), cross the Red Sea (Nu 33:8), wander through the wilderness of Sin (Nu 33:11), finally arriving at Sinai (Nu 33:15).

After leaving Sinai they head through the Sinai desert passing through Hazeroth (Nu 33:17) up to Ezion Geber near modern Eilat (Nu 33:35) on their way to Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin (Nu 33:36).

From Kadesh they head east (Nu 33:40), through Oboth (Nu 33:43) up onto the Transjordanian plateau (Nu 33:44).

They then head north up the King’s Highway straight through the territory of Moab through Dibon (Nu 33:45).

From there they continue up through Moab to Nebo, then west down into the Plain of Moab opposite Jericho (Nu 33:48).

Here’s what it looks like on a map:

Exodus & Numbers narratives

From Rameses (Ex 12:37) the Israelites travel to the point opposite Migdol (Ex 14:2), and cross the Red Sea (Ex 14:22). They then head via the wilderness of Sin (Ex 16:1) and Rephidim (Ex 17:1) to Sinai (Ex 19:1-3).

After receiving the law they head north via Hazeroth (Nu 11:35) to Kadesh (Nu 13:26) from where the 12 spies are sent out.

As a result of the faithless report brought back by the spies the Israelites are condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Nu 14:33-35) in the region of the Aravah (Nu 14:25).

After many years they come back to Kadesh (Nu 20:1) where Miriam dies. Next they go to Mt Hor, where Aaron dies (Nu 20:22-29). From there they head east to the Aravah – the Jordan Valley south of the Dead Sea – and travel on the Way to the Red Sea (Nu 21:4). Going through Oboth (Nu 21:10) they climb onto the Transjordanian plateau (Nu 21:11)

The Israelites then head north to the river Zered (Nu 21:12) and continue on to the river Arnon (Nu 21:13). Still moving north they travel through Moab until they get to the top of Pisgah (Nu 21:20). After conquering the Transjordan (Nu 21:21–35) the Israelites head west down onto the Plain of Moab opposite Jericho (Nu 22:1).

And now in map form:

Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy

Slightly unconventionally, this itinerary begins with the Israelites at Mt Sinai. From there they speed through to Kadesh (Dt 1:19) from where the spies are sent out (1:22–39).

The Israelites are then told to head back into the wilderness toward the Red Sea (Dt 2:1) and “skirt Mount Seir for many days” (Dt 2:1) – Mount Seir is the name for the range of hills to the east of the Aravah north of Eilat. 2

They wander in this area (described as being the area of the Aravah, Eilat, and Ezion Geber) for a long time (Dt 2:3) and then head into Mt Seir (Dt 2:8) – following the modern route from Aqaba to Wadi Rum in the direction of Moab.

Along the way the Israelites cross the River Zered (Dt 2:13) where the last of the Israelites who left Egypt die off (Dt 2:14-15).

Having been told not to engage the Moabites in warfare (Dt 2:9) who were located at this time between the Zered and the Arnon they head north peacefully to the River Arnon (Dt 2:24).

Once across the Arnon the Israelites take all the cities from there (Aroer being nestled on the northern edge of the Arnon), up to Gilead (Dt 2:36) in a thin strip to the east of the Kingdom of the Ammonites (Dt 2:37).

After fighting Og king of Bashan (Dt 3:1-7) and dividing up the territory they’d captured (Dt 3:8-17) we find the Israelites camped in the valley opposite Beth-peor (Dt 3:29).

And, on a map:

If it’s not clear yet, we’re dealing with quite different itineraries.

Combining the itineraries

If we place all three itineraries on the same map we get the following:

See? Itineraries are interesting.

Differences

Let’s highlight a couple of differences between the itineraries:

• The Exodus and Numbers narratives place the decades of wilderness wandering between the two visits to Kadesh. The first time they visit the spies are sent out; the second time they visit Miriam dies. Numbers 33 on the other hand has only one visit to Kadesh. Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy also has only one visit. The Deuteronomy itinerary does mention the wilderness wandering, but it is explicit in that when they’re finished wandering the Israelites head into Mt Seir; not Kadesh which would be in almost the opposite direction.
• In Numbers 33 and the Exodus and Numbers itineraries the journey from Kadesh (the only time in Numbers 33 and second visit in the Exodus and Numbers itinerary) to the Transjordanian plateau goes due east through Zin, across the Aravah and through Oboth before walking through the ravines up onto the Transjordanian plateau. In Deuteronomy on the other hand the Israelites head from Kadesh (their only visit) south-east towards Eilat, and from there they head through the Wadi Rum area and then head north.

These differences between the itineraries cannot be reconciled. You cannot visit Kadesh both only once and twice. You cannot travel from Kadesh both due east across the Aravah into Transjordan and south to Eilat and up into the Edomite hills in the direction of Wadi Rum.

A known problem?

We are not the first to stumble across these differences, so let’s see what others have written on the matter.

First up is Aharoni, a towering figure in the archaeology of Israel. Discussing the Kadesh-to-Plain-of-Moab itinerary of Deuteronomy vs. that found in the Numbers narrative he writes:

It would seem, therefore, that there are preserved here memories of two different journeys, the first in the fourteenth century to the plains of Moab before the various kingdoms in this area became organised, and the second in the thirteenth century which led around Edom and Moab along the fringe of the desert and which ended in the conquest of Heshbon. These different routes constitute one of the conclusive evidences that the Israelite conquest was not carried out in one campaign or at one time but rather continued in several waves which were blended together in the tradition to a single campaign of conquest. 3

Brown in his Expositional Bible Commentary provides no explanation for the differences, but he does note that they exist:

Moses recounts the way in which God brought the people to the border of Canaan by a different route and to a different place from the first occasion. 4

And before launching into an excellent treatment of the problem Tigay in the JPS Torah Commentary on Deuteronomy wryly notes:

There are several apparent discrepancies between these descriptions of the Israelites’ route. 5

So, we’re dealing with a known problem. The itineraries are different.

Is there an explanation for the differences?

In Aharoni’s writings we see one attempt to explain the problem: the different itineraries are attributed to different Exoduses. One itinerary was followed by one group at one point in time, another itinerary was followed by a different group at a different point in time.

Others have attempted to “fix” the itineraries, e.g. finding a second Kadesh in the Numbers 33 itinerary – they claim that Nu 33:16’s Kibroth Hattaavah is another name for Kadesh. 6 This however doesn’t work – Kibroth Hattaavah is somewhere that the Israelites visit on their way to Kadesh (cf. Nu 11:34 & 13:26).

Others claim that the Exodus and Numbers narratives along with the Numbers 33 itineraries simply miss out the portion of the journey that took them down to Eilat and up into the mountains of southern Jordan, thus reconciling the Deuteronomy itinerary with the others. 7

Finally, in the view of those following critical approaches, the inconsistencies between the itineraries are the result of a late editor weaving together ancient sacred documents, not feeling like they could change or cut out sections which made the final product contradictory. 8

Conclusions

What can be learned from this?

Robustly made and pious sounding claims of internal consistency within the biblical text are nothing but bluster and wishful thinking. Any such claims don’t match the evidence – discrepancies exist, as the various Exodus itineraries demonstrate.

If discrepancies in the Bible make us uncomfortable that only tells us that our understanding of the nature of the text needs adjusting.

Finally, instead of making untrue – and therefore disrespectful – claims about the nature of the text, we should base our understanding of it on what we find in it, and we should do so in a humble and inquiring manner.

So, let’s work with what the text says, not try to pretend it says something else.

Further reading

• An excellent introduction to the discrepancies between the various Exodus itineraries can be found in “Excursus 2: The Chronology and Route of the Wanderings from Kadesh to Transjordan” in Jeffrey H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (The JPS Torah Commentary; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996), 425–429.

Featured image

A photo I took on the way down from the top of Jebel Musa, the traditional site of Mt Sinai.

Baruch A. Levine, Numbers 21–36: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (vol. 4A; Anchor Yale Bible; New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 511.  ↩

Ernst Axel Knauf, “Seir (Place),” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1072–1073.  ↩

Yohanan Aharoni, The Land of the Bible (Philadelphia, Pensylvania: Westminster Press, 1979), 205-206.  ↩

Paul E. Brown, Deuteronomy: An Expositional Commentary (Exploring the Bible Commentary; Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2008), 22.  ↩

Jeffrey H. Tigay, Deuteronomy (The JPS Torah Commentary; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1996), 426.  ↩

Ibid, 428.  ↩

Ibid.  ↩

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The Route Through Sinai: Why the Israelites Fleeing Egypt Went South

028 The Route Through Sinai: Why the Israelites Fleeing Egypt Went South -->

By Itzhaq Beit-Arieh

Can modern ecology and ethnology help to establish the route of the Exodus? I believe they can.

The Bible clearly identifies by name the stops along the Exodus route ( Numbers 33:5–37 ). The area settled by the Israelites in Egypt is consistently identified as Goshen ( Genesis 45:10 , 47:1 , 4 ), which surely lay in the eastern Nile Delta. The Israelite rallying point for the Exodus was the Raamses, one of the store cities in the eastern Nile Delta that the Israelites had built for Pharaoh ( Exodus 12:37 ; Numbers 33:3 , 5 ); that is where the Exodus began.

Later the Israelites arrived at 031 Kadesh-Barnea ( Numbers 33:36 ; Deuteronomy 1:19 ). There they spent “many days” ( Deuteronomy 1:46 ). From Kadesh-Barnea the Israelites attempted to, and finally did, enter Canaan.

With almost no dissent, scholars are agreed that Kadesh-Barnea is to be identified with the modern site of Ein el-Qudeirat. a Located at the confluence of two, important, ancient desert routes in northeastern Sinai and adjacent to the most abundant spring in northern Sinai, Ein el-Qudeirat also fits the geographical markers for Kadesh-Barnea in the Bible. Indeed, Ein el-Qudeirat has no real competition as the site of Kadesh-Barnea. There is also a tell at Ein el-Qudeirat (formerly Tell el-Qudeirat and now called Tel b Kadesh-Barnea), but thus far it has yielded no remains earlier than the tenth century B.C., hundreds of years after the Exodus. And this, of course, remains a problem.

Having located the beginning point and the end point of the Israelites’ wilderness trek, it remains only to determine how the wanderers got from point A to point B. That, however, is easier said than done.

The Bible mentions several sites where the Israelites arrived shortly after leaving Raamses. From Raamses, they went to Succoth ( Exodus 12:37 ; Numbers 33:5 ). From there, they went to Etham “on the edge of the wilderness” ( Numbers 33:6 ). From Etham, they turned back and camped at Migdol ( Numbers 33:7 ). These and a few other sites mentioned in this passage are no doubt also in the eastern Nile Delta, and scholars have suggested a number of candidates for these sites.

The problems for scholars really begin, however, after the Israelites entered the desert. The Israelites started with a three-day journey into the wilderness of Etham, arriving at Marah. From there, they went to Elim and from there to the Reed Sea by the wilderness of Sin. Next came Dophkah, then Alush and on and on, one site after another ( Numbers 33 ).

And we have no idea where these sites are. They simply cannot be located on the ground with any confidence. That is why we have so many proposed routes for the Israelites’ wilderness wandering.

To have validity at all, any suggested route must follow what I call the tracks of Sinai. Except along the Mediterranean coast, the roads or trackways of Sinai run—and have run from time immemorial—along the dry streambeds called “wadis.” Most ancient settlements were built beside these wadis, 1 not only for the obvious reason of ease of communication with other settlements, but also because the available water resources were located mostly in the wadi beds, rather than on the high mountain uplands.

Four principal routes for the Exodus have been suggested by scholars.

The first and shortest is the northern route, along the Mediterranean Sea—the “way of the sea,” first mentioned by that name in Isaiah 9:1 (8:23 in Hebrew). Since the Roman period, this route has been known in Latin as the Via Maris. The ancient Egyptians, at least in the reign of Seti I (1313–1301 B.C.), used it for military campaigns against the northern countries and called it “the way of Horus.” The Bible refers to it also as the “way of the Philistines,” but goes on to state explicitly that this was not the route taken by the Israelites after they left Egypt:

“Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer; for God said, ‘The people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people roundabout, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds” ( Exodus 13:17–18 ).

Proceeding from north to south, the next candidate for the Exodus route through Sinai is the Way of Shur. This appears to have been the route taken by the patriarchs on their way to the land of Goshen ( Genesis 16:7 , 25:18). This route probably led from the area of Kadesh-Barnea via Jebel Halal, Bir Haseneh and Bir Gafgafa to the area of the modern town of Ismailia. The route passed between lakes where the Egyptians had constructed a fortification line called “Shur Mitzrayim,” the Wall of Egypt, to protect the Delta and to control the movement of nomads coming from the other side.

Another possibility is the Way of Seir ( Deuteronomy 1:2 ). This route probably led from the Gulf of Suez, via Eilat, to the mountain of Seir in the land of Edom, in southern Jordan. c Today, this route is known as the 032 “Darb el Haj,” or Way of the Celebrants, because caravans of Moslem pilgrims travel along it on their way to Mecca for the observance of the haj (pilgrimage). In Biblical times it was named after its destination, the Mountain of Seir, or Edom.

The final and most southerly possibility is “the way to the hill country of the Amorites” ( Deuteronomy 1:19 ). This route led from Mount Horeb in the south (wherever that is) to Kadesh-Barnea.

If we accept a southern location for Mt. Sinai, then this way is related to the second half of the Exodus journey—“From Horeb we went through all that great and terrible wilderness” ( Deuteronomy 1:19 ). d This route would proceed (along the Gulf of Eilat) to Ezion-Geber ( Numbers 33:16–35 ) and, via “the way to the hill country of the Amorites,” to Kadesh (-Barnea) ( Numbers 33:36 ). This segment is referred to in the Bible as “the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea” ( Exodus 13:18 ).

At least theoretically, each of these routes is a possibility. How do we decide among them?

Mt. Sinai was of course a critical stop along the route; if we could locate the mountain where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, that could well be determinative of the route through the Sinai.

But, as we all know, the location of Mt. Sinai is in dispute and is a matter of speculation at best. Some scholars locate it deep in southern Sinai. Others go in the other direction and place it in the Negev Highlands. Still others place it in central Sinai; and others in north central Sinai. One scholar (Emmanuel Anati) argues that it is a site in the central Negev; another (Frank Moore Cross) that it is in Arabia. For those who wish to pursue the matter further, I have listed in the sidebar “Proposed Locations of Mt. Sinai” the various mountains that have been proposed, their locations and the scholars who support each location (with citations to their work).

It is interesting that of all the sites proposed for Mt. Sinai, only two have remains of human presence in ancient times.

One, proposed by the Italian scholar Emmanuel Anati, is the site known as Har Karkom, located in the central Negev Highlands, about 70 miles southwest of 033 Beer-Sheva and 50 miles northwest of Eilat. Anati recently published a sumptuously illustrated book titled The Mountain of God , concerning his recent investigation of this massif, and even earlier reported to BAR readers on his findings. e I do not wish to comment at length on Professor Anati’s interpretation of certain structures discovered on this massif, except to note that his interpretation seems to me to strain the limits of my strictly archaeological approach. However, the most important point in connection with the problem we are exploring in this article is that most of the remains at Har Karkom date to the third millennium B.C., far too early for anyone’s (except Anati’s) reckoning of the Exodus. Moreover, those architectural elements at Har Karkom that Anati interprets as “cultic” are found in parallel forms at other mountain sites both in Eastern Sinai and in the Negev itself. At one mountain site in the Negev—Hasham el-Tarif—located some 40 miles southwest of Eilat, the remains of a number of sanctuaries, most of them open-air sanctuaries, were found. 2 These have been dated generally (due to a lack of specific finds) to the fifth or fourth millennium B.C. They are contemporary with the sanctuary recently excavated in Bika’at Uvda (on the fringes of the Arava, about 30 miles north of Eilat), also dated to the fifth millennium B.C. The remains discovered on the Har Karkom massif are also from this period, extending to as late as the third millennium B.C. So Har Karkom can hardly be Mt. Sinai and thus affords no assistance in locating the route of the Exodus.

The other site proposed for Mt. Sinai where human remains have been found is Serabit el-Khadem. f At Serabit el-Khadem, turquoise deposits were exploited by the ancient Egyptians during the Middle and New Kingdom periods (c. 1991–1190 B.C.). 3 At the beginning of the Middle Kingdom, a sanctuary dedicated to the Egyptian goddess Hathor was built here and was continually expanded over the centuries.

A number of very early alphabetic inscriptions (dated to about 1500 B.C.) have been found at Serabit el-Khadem in the mine area, rather than in the sanctuary area. Known as Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions, this pictographic-alphabetic script seems to have been used for a Semitic-Canaanite language. 4 Other examples of this script from an even earlier time (c. 1600 B.C.) have also been found in Canaan!

In addition, several pictures of what appear to be Semites were engraved on stelae in the Serabit el-Khadem sanctuary, and some of the names written on it in hieroglyphics are also Semitic.

Clearly, Semites were present at this Egyptian mining operation.

Some scholars have suggested that an Egyptian religious tradition sanctified Serabit el-Khadem, and that this religious tradition was somehow passed on to the Israelites. In that way, Serbit el-Khadem provided the model for Mt. Sinai.

Few scholars and fewer laymen are likely to be convinced by this speculation, however. Moreover, at the time of the Exodus, whether in the 13th century B.C. or in the 15th century B.C., Egyptian turquoise mining in the Sinai was at its most intensive. As we are told in the Egyptian dedication stelae of the Serabit el-Khadem sanctuary, Egyptian army escorts guarded the mines and the mining personnel. It is therefore highly unlikely that at this time the Israelites would have experienced a theophany here. Serabit el-Khadem is not Mt. Sinai.

We must admit that we can get no help in locating 035 the Exodus route by trying to locate Mt. Sinai.

Let us therefore look at the ecological and ethnological picture of Sinai to see what guidance we can find.

The entire Sinai peninsula covers over 23,000 square miles. I would like to concentrate, however, on the nearly 2,900 square-mile area of south central Sinai.

Geologically, south central Sinai is part of the Arabian-Nubian massif. The highest peaks reach 8,200 feet above sea level. The mountain landscape is broken and cut by ravines and gullies. Some of these wadis are only a few yards wide; others are 500 feet wide and more.

As noted earlier, these wadis, or at least the wider ones, provide convenient natural passages along which traffic moves; they form the principal routes and arteries of the region and are also the main areas in which human activity was, and still is, concentrated.

South central Sinai has a semi-desert climate. The median low temperature in winter is 23° Fahrenheit; the median high temperature in summer is 105° Fahrenheit. Rainfall is rare and irregular. The average annual rainfall is less than 2.5 inches. However, a small amount of melt water from the snows that cover the mountain peaks in winter adds to the water supply.

Water resources also include rock aquifers (natural, subterranean reservoirs), which are sufficiently close to the surface to be rather easily tapped. Natural open pools along wadis also collect runoff rainwater. The water accumulated in these pools can be drawn on for many months of the year. In a few places, springs fed by high ground-water levels flow into the wadis. It is at these places where oases, such as the Feiran oasis in the west and Ein-Kid oasis in the east, have developed. A fairly dense growth of typically stunted, desert trees and bushes covers the streambeds and the nearby plain areas. This growth is exploited by the local Bedouin for grazing, as well as for fuel.

Today, the area has a population of approximately 10,000 Bedouin, who live in both temporary and permanent settlements. Their dwellings consist mostly of tents, wooden huts and, at the more permanent sites, a few stone structures.

In the 15 years between 1967 and 1982, when Israeli archaeologists had access to Sinai, it was clearly shown that the largest concentration of ancient settlements was in this mountainous region of south central Sinai. Except for the coastal strip, all other areas of Sinai have few economic resources and little water, as a result of which there is almost no regular or settled population. Central Sinai is called in Arabic “Badyat el-Tih,” the Desert of the Wanderers. It is a flat area of limestone and sand, unsuitable for farming of any kind. Even the wild flora struggle to survive because of the lack of water.

Based on this evidence, I believe that the southern 036 route is the one most likely taken by the Israelites on their trek from Raamses to Kadesh-Barnea. As compared with other regions of Sinai, here in south central Sinai they would have found a reasonably adequate water supply and a relatively comfortable climate that makes it possible to maintain a daily lifestyle suitably adapted to the conditions of the desert. Moreover, the high mountains of south central Sinai are geomorphologically adapted to providing plenty of rock shelters; the high cliffs shield settlements established in their lee against the blasts of the cold winter winds.

Compared to other parts of Sinai, this region is ecologically better adapted to the sustenance of life, because it is covered by assorted vegetation consisting of acacia and palm trees and a fairly dense growth of perennial bushes, along with a seasonal cover of grasses and weeds suitable for pasturing sheep and goats.

In a pastoral economy (where ordinary argiculture is not possible) a flock of goats is essential. The Bedouin flocks even today are mostly black goats of a special dwarf breed physiologically adapted to arid conditions. As experiments have shown, this breed of goat can go for as long as 14 days without water. At the end of the two-week period, the goats will have lost 40 percent of their body weight. Although deprived of water for this entire period, however, the goats show no ill effects and continue to carry out their bodily functions normally. Then, when given water, they gulp up enough in two minutes to equal 40 percent of their body weight.

This animal’s ability to endure for weeks without water allows Sinai pastoralists to wander long distances with their flocks. The economic existence of the ancient population of south central Sinai was probably dependent on the domestication of the desert goat, which provided the populace not only with meat and milk, but also with hides and perhaps with wool as well.

In our excavations, g we found numerous animal bones of black, dwarf-breed goats from as early as the third millennium B.C. With flocks of such goats, the pastoralists could range across south central Sinai without having to worry about a nearby water source, such as a pool, a cistern or a well.

The concentration of Bedouin in this area today confirms our analysis of the situation in ancient times. In this respect, things haven’t changed very much.

But there is another reason why I believe that this is the area most likely traversed by the Israelites on their way through Sinai. That relates to the area’s geographic isolation vis-à-vis the regions that surround it. This isolation results from the region’s geomorphological structure, which cuts it off from the mountain ranges to the north and from the Red Sea gulfs on the east and west.

Whether for this or for other, additional reasons, ancient Egyptian hegemony never extended into south central Sinai. As we have seen, the Egyptians did reach the western strip of southern Sinai, where they worked the turquoise mines of Serabit el-Khadem and similar mines at nearby Wadi Maghara. But despite the fact that south central Sinai contains copper deposits that were highly prized in ancient times, there is no evidence to indicate that the Egyptians were active in the exploitation of these copper deposits.

Perhaps they refrained from penetrating into the south central mountain region, because they feared a conflict with the local population, which enjoyed a clear strategic advantage over any foreign invader. This is suggested by an Egyptian rock relief discovered in the Wadi Maghara. This relief, dating to about 2600 B.C., depicts the pharaoh Sekhemkhet, the third king of the third dynasty, smiting an enemy. Whether the depicted act was an actual historical event is irrelevant; the fact remains, the Egyptians perceived the need to invoke magical powers against their enemies in this region.

In any event, for whatever reason, we find no evidence of an Egyptian presence in south central Sinai at any time in the entire history of ancient Egypt.

So south central Sinai was suitable as the wandering ground of the Israelite tribes not only from an economic-ecological viewpoint, but also from the geopolitical viewpoint. It was a region free of any Egyptian presence. Here, in short, the Israelites were safe.

Yet there is a problem. Nowhere have we found any material remains of human occupation at the time (Late Bronze Age—1550–1200 B.C.) when the Exodus is supposed to have occurrred . h Perhaps it will be argued, by those who subscribe to the traditional account in the Bible, that the Israelite material culture was only of the flimsiest kind that left no trace. Presumably the Israelite dwellings and artifacts consisted only of perishable materials.

But it must be pointed out that we did find substantial evidence of human occupation from even earlier periods. We discovered scores of settlements, especially from the so-called pre-pottery Neolithic period (sixth-fifth millennia B.C.) and from the Early Bronze Age II period (first half of the third millennium B.C.). In the EB II period, a Canaanite population established a series of small settlements in south central Sinai. The principal economic activity of these settlements was the production of copper from locally mined ores, which was then transported by caravan to the large population centers in Canaan.

What are we to conclude then from all this evidence? It is clear that no single, consistent picture of the Exodus emerges. But what we can say is that if a large-scale Exodus as described in the Bible, or even a small-scale Exodus, did in fact occur, it probably followed the southern route through the Sinai.

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See Rudolph Cohen, “Did I Excavate Kadesh-Barnea?” BAR 07:03.

A tel or tell is an artificial mound formed by accumulated remains. “Tel” is the spelling used in Hebrew site names; “tell” is the spelling used in Arabic site names.

Another view (held by Zvi Ilan and supported by some other scholars) is that the mountain of Seir is not located in Jordan, but in east central Sinai close to the Negev Highlands. According to this view, this route starts in the Temed area and goes north via the Wadi Watir, the Wadi Shaireh and Jebel Shaireh (notice the similarity between the Arabic name Shaireh and the Hebrew name Sinai) to Kadesh-Barnea ( -->see dashed line on map -->). In this view, Horeb/Sinai should be located in the area of Temed because “there are 11 days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadesh-Barnea” ( Deuteronomy 1:2 ).

The mountain of God is called both “Horeb” and “Sinai” at different places in the Bible (see, for example, Exodus 3:1 and Deuteronomy 1:6 for “Horeb”; and Exodus 19:20 , 34:29 for “Sinai”).

See Emmanuel Anati, “Has Mt. Sinai Been Found?” BAR 11:04.

From 1971 to 1982 I headed an archaeological expedition, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University, that investigated the archaeology of southern and eastern Sinai.

See my article, “Fifteen Years in Sinai,” BAR 10:04.

For the earlier date, see John J. Bimson and David Livingston, “Redating the Exodus,” BAR 13:05; for the later date, see Baruch Halpern, “Radical Exodus Redating Fatally Flawed,” BAR 13:06).

Itzhaq Beit-Arieh, “A Pattern of Settlement in Southern Sinai and Southern Canaan in the Third Millennium B.C.,” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research 243 (1981), pp. 31–54.

U. Armer, “Ancient Cult Sites in the Negev and Sinai Deserts,” Tel Aviv 11 (1984), pp. 115–131.

William M. Flinders Petrie, Researches in Sinai (New York: Dutton 1906); see also Beit-Arieh, “Fifteen Years in Sinai,” BAR 10:04; and Beit-Arieh, “Serabit el-Khadim: New Metallurgical and Chronological Aspects,” Levant 17 (1985), pp. 89–116.

William F. Albright, The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions and Their Decipherment (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1969); Frank Moore Cross, “The Evolution of the Alphabet,” Eretz-Israel 8 (1967) p. 12; and Joseph Naveh, Early History of the Alphabet (Jerusalem. Magnes Press, Hebrew Univ., 1982).

• Travel/Study

BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Wilderness wanderings: where is kadesh.

Kadesh in the Bible and on the ground

“I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-Barnea to spy out the land; and I brought him an honest report.” —Joshua 14:7

According to the Bible, the Israelites stayed at a place called Kadesh following their Exodus from Egypt and wanderings through the desert. Kadesh—also called Kadesh-Barnea in some Biblical passages 1 —was where Moses’ sister Miriam died and was buried (Numbers 20:1) and from where Moses sent 12 men to spy out the Promised Land (Numbers 13:26).

KADESH IN THE BIBLE. In the Hebrew Bible, a place called Kadesh—also known as Kadesh-Barnea—was an important stop during the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings. Where is Kadesh? The site of Tell el-Qudeirat in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula is considered to be the best candidate. Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority.

Where is Kadesh-Barnea? Investigations since the early 19th century have attempted to find the site. Tell el-Qudeirat, located in the valley of the Wadi el-Ein in the northeastern part of the Sinai Peninsula, is the best candidate for Biblical Kadesh-Barnea, according to scholarly consensus today.

Excavations conducted at Tell el-Qudeirat and its surroundings in 1914 by Leonard Woolley and T.E. Lawrence and between 1976 and 1982 by Rudolph Cohen have revealed the ruins of three Iron Age (Israelite) fortresses. However, the archaeologists uncovered no evidence dating before the 10th century B.C.E.—the time of King Solomon . There appears to be no evidence, therefore, that Tell el-Qudeirat was occupied during the time of Moses and the Biblical Exodus . 2 What do we make of this?

In “Kadesh-Barnea—In the Bible and on the Ground” in the September/October 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review , David Ussishkin, Lily Singer-Avitz and Hershel Shanks explore the archaeological evidence uncovered at Tell el-Qudeirat. An analysis of the finds—especially the pottery—from the Iron Age ruins sheds new light on the identification of Tell el-Qudeirat with Kadesh in the Bible.

In the free eBook Ancient Israel in Egypt and the Exodus , top scholars discuss the historical Israelites in Egypt and archaeological evidence for and against the historicity of the Exodus.

Fragments of Qurayyah Painted Ware discovered at Tell el-Qudeirat suggest that there was a presence at the site—believed to be Biblical Kadesh-Barnea—during the time of Moses and the Biblical Exodus. Pictured is a restored Qurayyah jug from Timna, Israel. Photo: Eretz Israel Museum.

BAR coauthor Lily Singer-Avitz suggests that several finds discovered in the later strata, including Egyptian-style seals and seal impressions and local pottery sherds, should be associated with a Late Bronze Age–Early Iron I period presence at Tell el-Qudeirat. Particularly important are the sherds belonging to what is called Qurayyah Painted Ware found in different strata throughout the site. As Singer-Avitz argues:

The Qurayyah Painted Ware was in use during the latter part of the Late Bronze and the Iron I periods, from the 12th to the 11th centuries B.C.E., about the time of the Exodus from Egypt according to those who attribute some historicity to this central Biblical event.

Learn more about Qurayyah Painted Ware and its importance to the site of Tell el-Qudeirat— Kadesh in the Bible—by reading the full article “Kadesh-Barnea—In the Bible and on the Ground” by David Ussishkin, Lily Singer-Avitz and Hershel Shanks in the September/October 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review .

—————— Subscribers: Read the full article “Kadesh-Barnea—In the Bible and on the Ground” by David Ussishkin, Lily Singer-Avitz and Hershel Shanks in the September/October 2015 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review .

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1. The name Kadesh-Barnea in Hebrew is qādeš barnēa‘ . The Hebrew root qdš means “holiness,” “separateness”; the meaning of the second word is not known. See Dale W. Manor, “Kadesh-Barnea,” in David Noel Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary , vol. 4 (New York: Doubleday, 1992), p. 1.

2. Rudolph Cohen, “Did I Excavate Kadesh-Barnea?” Biblical Archaeology Review , May/June 1981; Rudolph Cohen, “Qadesh-Barnea,” in Eric M. Meyers, ed., The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East , vol. 4 (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 1997), pp. 365–367.

More on the Exodus in Bible History Daily :

Exodus in the Bible and the Egyptian Plagues

Who Was Moses? Was He More than an Exodus Hero?

Out of Egypt: Israel’s Exodus Between Text and Memory, History and Imagination

Searching for Biblical Mt. Sinai

This Bible History Daily feature was originally published on September 14, 2015.

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12 Responses

My equinox year hypothesis is based on the idea that before the Assyrian cultural dominance in the Levant (i.e. before 750 B.C.E.) the Israelites used a 6 month period as the year. Then the Exodus would be in the first part of the 11th century. It fits the chronology of the layer 4c (on page 41 in the article). The next question is, is there any evidence it was occupied by the Israelites? And the next question is, is there any evidence that they came from Egypt?

Almost everything the socalled experts tell us about archaeology is wrong when it comes to precise dating. Relative dating is pretty accurate. But they’ve sold us a bill of goods with the timeline.

The Mountain that Burned with Fire has been estalished as in Saudi Arabia. When Israel crossed the Red Sea, it was that part now called The gulf of Aqaba. To look for Kadesh Barnea in the so-called Sinai Peninsula seems to me to be a very bad diversion. If the current idea can be reached from Saudi Arabia it would seem possible, and would fit with another scripture. When Israel was finally to go into the land they had to go AROUND the land of Edom, indicating that they were to the west and south of it. Since Eilat became a major port for Solomon, it would add to the possibility.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200002564#h=1:0-9:570

KADESH (Kaʹdesh) [Holy Place], Kadesh-barnea (Kaʹdesh-barʹne·a) [Holy Place of Barnea].

An Israelite wilderness encampment situated at the extremity of Edomite territory near “the way to Shur,” perhaps the modern Darb el-Shur extending from Hebron to Egypt. (Ge 16:7, 14; Nu 20:14-16 [Heb. ʽir (city) at Nu 20:16 may simply mean encampment; compare Nu 13:19.]) Apparently 11 days’ travel distance by way of Mount Seir separated Kadesh-barnea from Horeb.—De 1:2.

Kadesh is spoken of as being located in both the Wilderness of Paran and the Wilderness of Zin. Possibly Zin and Paran were adjoining wildernesses that met at Kadesh, and therefore, the site could be referred to as lying in either one. Or, the Wilderness of Zin may have been part of the larger Wilderness of Paran. (Nu 13:26; 20:1) In Abraham’s time the place was known both as En-mishpat and as Kadesh. (Ge 14:7; 20:1) It is perhaps the same site as Kedesh.—Jos 15:21, 23.

ʽAin Qedeis, about 80 km (50 mi) SSW of Beer-sheba, has been suggested as a possible identification for Kadesh. In the midst of a desolate wilderness (compare De 1:19), the pure and sweet water of the spring at Qedeis supports an oasis of grass, shrubs, and trees. There are also two other springs in the vicinity, ʽAin el-Qudeirat and ʽAin el-Qeseimeh. Today the largest of the three springs is ʽAin el-Qudeirat, and for this reason some favor identifying it with Kadesh-barnea. However, ʽAin Qedeis is the most easterly spring. Consequently, the identification of ʽAin Qedeis with Kadesh-barnea seems to be more in line with the description of the E-W course of Canaan’s southern boundary: Kadesh-barnea (ʽAin Qedeis?), Hazar-addar (ʽAin el-Qudeirat?), and Azmon (ʽAin el-Qeseimeh?).—Nu 34:3-5.

If the Israelites did encamp in this area, because of the vast multitude they doubtless used all three springs. For example, the encampment just before crossing the Jordan spread out “from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim.” (Nu 33:49) That was a distance of about 8 km (5 mi), according to the suggested sites for those places. The distance from Kadesh-barnea (ʽAin Qedeis) to Azmon (ʽAin el-Qeseimeh) is about 14 km (8.5 mi); and to Hazar-addar (ʽAin el-Qudeirat) is 9 km (5.5 mi). So, for them to have used all three springs is not an unreasonable possibility. It is also possible that the whole area was called Kadesh-barnea with the name preserved in the SE spring.

There would be no evidence even if it the famous Biblical site because the Israelites didn’t have permanent settlements during the Exodus. Over the years many people would have camped at the site especially if there was water nearby. But because there is likely to be no physical evidence of the Exodus people will always scoff at the idea that the Exodus actually took place. The Hyksos for example left Egypt shortly before the Exodus, but have we any evidence of their sojourn into Canaan and other parts of the Middle East? No. It was no different for the Israelites and the Exodus after all it happened about 2500 years ago.

Kadesh-Barnea in the Eastern Sinai is a place I know from the recent wars between Egypt and Israel, but I tend to believe that if an Exodus took place at one time, it had to be some place where there are some signs that such a mighty host of people camped for 40 years, and the best candidate is the Hezaj. However, if, contrary to the Bible story, the Exodus was a durative phenomenon that took place over a very long time, then the Kadesh Barnea of the 20th century wars can be where most people believe it to be. There simply isn’t enough collaboative archaeological data accumulated to ascertain with any degree of certainty.

From Egypt to the Promised Land People everywhere know of the Exodus from Egypt. But what awaited Moses and God’s people after they crossed the Red Sea? Where did they head, and how did they reach the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land?

Exodus Route Their goal was the land of Canaan, yet Moses did not take the shortest route—about 250 miles [400 km] along the sandy coast—which would have led straight through Philistia, enemy territory. Nor did he head across the vast center of the Sinai Peninsula, where intense heat baked the gravel and limestone plateau. No, Moses led the people south, down the narrow coastal plain. The first camp was at Marah, where Jehovah made bitter water turn sweet.* After leaving Elim, the people murmured for food; God sent quail and then manna. At Rephidim, water was again an issue, attacking Amalekites were vanquished, and Moses’ father-in-law urged him to get help from capable men.—Ex, chaps. 15-18.

Moses then led Israel toward the mountains farther south, camping at Mount Sinai. There God’s people received the Law, built the tabernacle, and offered sacrifices. In the second year, they went north through a “great and fear-inspiring wilderness,” the journey to the area of Kadesh (Kadesh-barnea) apparently taking 11 days. (De 1:1, 2, 19; 8:15) Because of becoming fearful over a negative report from ten spies, the people had to wander for 38 years. (Nu 13:1–14:34) Among their stops were Abronah and Ezion-geber, and then they went back to Kadesh.—Nu 33:33-36.

When it was finally time for Israel to approach the Promised Land, the Israelites did not move due north. Their route took them around Edom’s heartland and up “the king’s road,” the King’s Highway. (Nu 21:22; De 2:1-8) It was not easy for a whole nation—with children, animals, and tents—to move over this trail. They had to wind down into and climb back out of formidable gorges—the Zered and the Arnon (nearly 1,700 feet [520 m] deep).—De 2:13, 14, 24.

Finally, the Israelites reached Mount Nebo. Miriam had died at Kadesh, and Aaron, at Mount Hor. Moses now died in sight of the land he had desired to enter. (De 32:48-52; 34:1-5) It fell to Joshua to lead Israel into the land, ending a journey begun 40 years earlier.—Jos 1:1-4. Also called En-mishpat; Kadesh-barnea.photos of oasis near: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200273219#h=2

Of course you won’t find Kadesh in the Sinai, They crossed the Red Sea and stayed on the Arabian side for 40 years. It’s over there someplace.

A step by step the puzzle of Exodus will be uncovered. Hopefully there will be also the findings from anthropology field. Thank you BAR BAS BHD.

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OT Overview

Nt overview, pentateuch studies, history books studies, studies in the prophets, studies in the gospels, acts and letters studies, revelation studies, inductive study, types of literature, early church, historical documents, life questions, how to preach, julian's books, contact julian,  chronology of the 40 years in the wilderness between the exodus from egypt and the promised land, julian spriggs m.a..

This page gives chronological details of the forty years the Israelites spent in the wilderness between the Exodus from Egypt and the entry to the Promised Land. At several places in the account in the Books of Exodus and Numbers an exact date is given, counting from the departure from Egypt. From these, it is possible to work out an approximate chronology for many of the events.

Table 1: Exodus to Promised Land (40 years)

This covers the whole forty years from the Exodus from Egypt to the entry into the promised land under Joshua. There is a 38 year gap after the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea, during which the generation of adults who left Egypt were replaced by the younger generation who grew up in the wilderness.

The two periods at the beginning and end of the forty years are expanded in more detail. The period between the Exodus and Kadesh Barnea is covered in more detail in Table 2 , and the period between Kadesh Barnea and the entry to the Promised land is covered in more detail in Table 3 .

Years after leaving Egypt:

Table 2: exodus to rebellion at kadesh barnea (2 years).

This covers the two years following the Exodus from Egypt, including the journey to Sinai, the year spent on Mt Sinai, during which the law was given and the tabernacle was constructed, followed by the journey from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea on the border of the Promised Land.

Years and months after leaving Egypt:

After the rebellion, God condemned the older generation to die in the wilderness (Num 14:20-24).

Table 3: Kadesh to Crossing of Jordan (1 year)

This covers a year and a month starting from the departure from Kadesh Barnea on the first day of the first month of the fortieth year after the Exodus, as far as entry into the Promised Land under Joshua.

Pages which look at issues relevant to the whole Bible, such as the Canon of Scripture, as well as doctrinal and theological issues. There are also pages about the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha and 'lost books' of the Old Testament.

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Old Testament Overview

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Julian's Teaching Ministry

Information for sbs staff members.

Two pages particularly relevant for people serving as staff on the School of Biblical Studies (SBS) in YWAM. One gives helpful instruction about how to prepare to teach on a book in the SBS. The other gives a list of recommended topics which can be taught about for each book of the Bible.

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Through The Wilderness

The stage of journeying through the wilderness is an essential part of the transformation from slavery to freedom.

By Rabbi Irwin Kula

Commentary on Parashat Bamidbar , Numbers 1:1 - 4:20

Bamidbar represents an important stage in the journey of the people from slavery to freedom. The wilderness, far beyond its geographic or historic reality, enters the Jewish experience as a central metaphor for understanding who we are and what we must do.

By devoting an entire book to the wilderness experience, the Torah provides an important insight into the real achievement of freedom. Leaving Egypt in a moment of pure triumph is far easier than wrestling with the burdens of establishing a functioning community. Bamidbar shows us a people dealing with the mundane frustrations of gathering food, pitching tents, establishing new rules and customs, as well as defining its leadership.

Despite the problems and murmurings described in Bamidbar, this slave people raises a new generation of freeborn children. Here is a deeper understanding of the Exodus — the maturity of a people meeting the daily challenges of life in freedom with responsibility.

The true goal of the Exodus was to take Egypt out of the Israelites. The experience of the seemingly endless journey transformed a people — crushed, frightened, subservient and dependent — into a people with initiative, self-respect, anger at oppression and even militancy. The Israelites at the Jordan are a very different people from the one that left Egypt. They are ready to fight their own battles. They are a community committed to one another and to the covenant that binds them together.

Bamidbar reminds us that wherever we live, there is a better place, a world more attractive, a promised land, but the way to that land is through the wilderness. There is no way to get there except by joining together and marching day after day.

Reprinted with permission from CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership .

Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.

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Numbers 33 New International Reader's Version

The places where israel camped during their journey.

33  Here are the places where the Israelites camped during their journey. When they came out of Egypt, they marched in groups like an army. Moses and Aaron led them. 2  The Lord commanded Moses to record their journey. Here are the places where they camped.

3  The Israelites started out from Rameses on the 15th day of the first month. It was the day after the Passover Feast. They marched out boldly in plain sight of all the Egyptians. 4  The Egyptians were burying all their oldest sons. The Lord had struck them down. He had done it when he punished their gods.

5  The Israelites left Rameses and camped at Sukkoth.

6  They left Sukkoth and camped at Etham. Etham was on the edge of the desert.

7  They left Etham and turned back to Pi Hahiroth. It was east of Baal Zephon. They camped near Migdol.

8  They left Pi Hahiroth. Then they passed through the Red Sea into the desert. They traveled for three days in the Desert of Etham. Then they camped at Marah.

9  They left Marah and went to Elim. Twelve springs and 70 palm trees were there. So they camped at Elim.

10  They left Elim and camped by the Red Sea.

11  They left the Red Sea and camped in the Desert of Sin.

12  They left the Desert of Sin and camped at Dophkah.

13  They left Dophkah and camped at Alush.

14  They left Alush and camped at Rephidim. But there was no water there for the people to drink.

15  They left Rephidim and camped in the Desert of Sinai.

16  They left the Desert of Sinai and camped at Kibroth Hattaavah.

17  They left Kibroth Hattaavah and camped at Hazeroth.

18  They left Hazeroth and camped at Rithmah.

19  They left Rithmah and camped at Rimmon Perez.

20  They left Rimmon Perez and camped at Libnah.

21  They left Libnah and camped at Rissah.

22  They left Rissah and camped at Kehelathah.

23  They left Kehelathah and camped at Mount Shepher.

24  They left Mount Shepher and camped at Haradah.

25  They left Haradah and camped at Makheloth.

26  They left Makheloth and camped at Tahath.

27  They left Tahath and camped at Terah.

28  They left Terah and camped at Mithkah.

29  They left Mithkah and camped at Hashmonah.

30  They left Hashmonah and camped at Moseroth.

31  They left Moseroth and camped at Bene Jaakan.

32  They left Bene Jaakan and camped at Hor Haggidgad.

33  They left Hor Haggidgad and camped at Jotbathah.

34  They left Jotbathah and camped at Abronah.

35  They left Abronah and camped at Ezion Geber.

36  They left Ezion Geber and camped at Kadesh. Kadesh was in the Desert of Zin.

37  They left Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor. It was on the border of Edom. 38  Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor when the Lord commanded him to. That’s where he died. It happened on the first day of the fifth month. It was the 40th year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. 39  Aaron was 123 years old when he died on Mount Hor.

40  The Canaanite king of Arad lived in the Negev Desert in Canaan. He heard that the Israelites were coming.

41  They left Mount Hor and camped at Zalmonah.

42  They left Zalmonah and camped at Punon.

43  They left Punon and camped at Oboth.

44  They left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim. It was on the border of Moab.

45  They left Iye Abarim and camped at Dibon Gad.

46  They left Dibon Gad and camped at Almon Diblathaim.

47  They left Almon Diblathaim and camped in the mountains of Abarim near Nebo.

48  They left the mountains of Abarim and camped on the plains of Moab. That area was by the Jordan River across from Jericho. 49  They camped there along the Jordan River from Beth Jeshimoth to Abel Shittim.

50  On the plains of Moab the Lord spoke to Moses. He spoke to him by the Jordan River across from Jericho. The Lord said, 51  “Speak to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘Go across the Jordan River into Canaan. 52  Drive out all those living in the land. The statues of their gods are made out of stone and metal. Destroy all those statues. And destroy all the high places where they are worshiped. 53  Take the land as your own. Make your homes in it. I have given it to you. 54  Cast lots when you divide up the land. Do it based on the number of people in each tribe and family. Give a larger share to a larger group. And give a smaller group a smaller share. The share they receive by casting lots will belong to them. Give out the shares based on the number of people in Israel’s tribes.

55  “ ‘But suppose you do not drive out the people living in the land. Then those you allow to remain there will become like needles in your eyes. They will become like thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. 56  Then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.’ ”

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