Read NOW the amazing discovery of the RED SEA CROSSING SITE!
READ THE WHOLE STORY (IT'S WORTH IT, HONEST) AND BE STUNNED!
Part 1: Before the Crossing
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Splendour of Egypt
Egypt... The very name evokes feelings of romance and mystery. Some 3,500 years ago, in the most glorious era of her history, Egypt was the granary of the world. She was eminent in science, the arts, luxury and magnificence. Egypt was, in a sense, the USA of that era - the super power of the world.
Moses' Choice
In 1526 BC there was born a baby who was to dramatically alter that status. Moses
was born to Hebrew parents in humble surroundings. But God had grander plans for him. By a
miraculous set of circumstances, he grew up, trained by his mother, as "the son of
Pharaoh's daughter".
Because of his relation to the throne, he had all the might and wealth of Egypt at his
fingertips. He became a great statesman and general. Yet his mother had taught him that
the thousands of slaves working in the brick-pits were his people, and that his destiny
was linked with theirs.
The time came for Moss to make his decision. He could choose to become king of what was
the world's greatest empire, or to be numbered among the sweating and grumbling slaves.
His sympathies aroused for the Hebrews, he rashly killed an Egyptian and was forced to
flee to Midian.
Where was Midian?
Obviously, this was a place where the Egyptians had no control. But where was it?
It was in Midian that Moses encountered the burning bush. There, God told Moses that he
was to bring forth the Hebrews out of Egypt.
When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain. (Ex. 3:12)
Notice that Moses was told to lead his people back to a mountain in Midian - to the
mountain where God first spoke to him. This is later called Mount Sinai.
From studies of ancient Egyptian history, it becomes clear that Midian was NOT in the
so-called "Sinai peninsula".
All through the Sinai peninsula there is tremendous evidence of the ancient Egyptians
having control of this area. The inscriptions tell of their mining operations there. They
mined turquoise and copper. Slag heaps still remain from their smelting. There are temples
out there, as well as fortresses. This was Egyptian controlled territory. There are many
differing theories as to the possible location of the real Mount Sinai. Only since the 5th
century has the "popular" site become accepted.
But does the Bible throw any light on the matter? It does:
For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia." (Gal. 4:25)
Did you notice that? Sinai is IN ARABIA!
And in Saudi Arabia, there is no evidence of Egyptian occupation. It was a safe place for Moses to go when he fled Egypt. And it was this same safe place to which God told him to bring the Hebrews (see above). Since Mount Sinai lies in Saudi Arabia, then the crossing through the sea to Mount Sinai had to be across the Gulf of Aqaba portion of the Red Sea, and not the Gulf of Suez, as commonly thought.
Route of the Exodus
Now let's begin the events of the Exodus journey, beginning with the time the multitude leaves Egypt, until they cross the Red Sea. We shall systematically take each step of their journey. . . .
Where was Rameses?
Firstly, the Israelites travelled from Rameses to Succoth. (Ex.12:37) There was a city with a similar name (Raamses - Ex.1:11). However, this was distinct from the land of Rameses. Rameses was the Delta region, the land given to Joseph's family to live in by the pharaoh. This was called "the land of Rameses" and "the land of Goshen". And here the great population of the Hebrews lived:
"And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded." (Gen.47:11) "And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly." (Gen.47:27)
Eventually, when the time came for the Exodus, the slaves left their homes in Rameses (Goshen) and proceeded to leave Egypt "proper". They assembled in Succoth, which was very near, yet outside of the boundary of Egypt "proper".
Where was Succoth?
Succoth had to be a place large enough for this tremendous amount of people and flocks to assemble. "Succoth" is a Hebrew transliteration of the Egyptian "Tjeku" mentioned in Egyptian documents as a border station. It was also known as "Tharu". In ancient Egypt there was a line of guarded fortifications along the canal which connected the Gulf of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea. This canal is known to have existed anciently, by satellite photos and infra-red photos, which still show its path. At the border - the point where one would leave Egypt proper and go into the Sinai desert, there was a fortress and a bridge. (see Adolf Erman, Life in Ancient Egypt):
"The Isthmus of Suez was of the greatest consequence also from a military point of view - it was doubtless fortified in very early times. Probably here stood the great fortress of Tary, often spoken of as the starting-point for the expeditions into Syria,..." p.28
"The line of fortifications which was intended to keep back these Beduins of the Delta, is met with as early as the time of the Middle Empire, and is still standing. It consisted of a wall strengthened by small towers...; this formed an obstruction which the slaves who tried to escape from Egypt, and the Beduins who wanted to pasture their cattle on the fields of the Delta, found difficult to pass. At this time we also meet with a defensive work of another kind, namely a broad canal, which presumably connected the lakes of the isthmus together. At the point where a bridge crossed this canal were strong fortresses on both sides;... The great fortress which defended this bridge was the fortress of Tary', which is so often mentioned as the starting point of the military expeditions." - p.537
This was located near the Delta where the Israelites were living. "Thary" was where the Egyptian army assembled in preparation for their military expeditions to the north. Armies consisted of a great deal of men, horses and chariots; and they required a large area to assemble properly. Moses well knew Tharu, called "Succoth" in the biblical account - and it was here that he organised the people for their journey. They had left Egypt proper once they crossed this line of Fortification, just as the Lord had promised.
"... and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt." (Ex. 13:18)
The term "harnessed " indicates that they went out not as a mob of fleeing
fugitives, but as a well-organised body. The Hebrew word "chamushim" (translated
"harnessed ") means "in ranks".
Remember, Moses, as "the son of Pharaoh's daughter", was the heir to the throne
of Egypt. As such, he underwent training with the priesthood and the military. ("Moses
was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds." -
Acts 7:22)
Yes, Moses was thoroughly trained in all aspects of military leadership and would have
known well how to assemble large numbers of people for travel.
The fact that Moses was indeed a general in the Egyptian army seems to have been a
well-known fact. Josephus writes about this in his Antiquities of the Jews, Bk.2, ch.X. As
a military man, once again, Moses knew "Tharu", and it was here that he
organised his largest "army"ever for travel. And from this assembly point, they
travelled to Etham.
Where was Etham?
"And they took their journey from Succoth, and encaped in Etham in the edge of the wilderness." (Ex. 13:20)
Etham was in the "edge of the wilderness". What wilderness was this? The answer is in the Exodus account:
"But God led the people about, throught they way of the wilderness of the Red Sea." (Ex. 13:18)
It was the Wilderness of the Red Sea - the mountainous land of the mid and southern
Sinai peninsula. This was along a route that was commonly taken in those days by both
caravans and the army, and it was called "the southern route". This route was
taken becasue it was safer than travelling along the coastal "northern" route,
where the Philistines were.
Etham was not a singular location, but a region. Why do we know this? Because they were in
Etham BEFORE they crossed the Red Sea (Ex. 13:20). And they were still in an area called
Etham AFTER they crossed the sea (Num.33:8).
Etham was, therefore, a designation of the land that lay around the mid-northern edge of
the Gulf of Aqaba.
Next: Pihahiroth, Migdol and Baallzephon
It was while they were in Etham on the western side of the sea that God told Moses:
"Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon before it ye shall encamp by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in." (Ex.14:2,3)
To be "entangled in the land", they would have to be travelling through an area with mountains all around, hemming them in. This is BEFORE crossing the sea.
Such a region would terminate at a place by the sea which was large enough to hold perhaps 2 or 3 million people, as well as their flocks. There is a beach of tremendous size on the Gulf of Aqaba at Nuweiba, and the only passage to it is through an 18 mile long wadi (dry river bed) system. So from Etham they changed their direction of travel ("that they turn") and went south, through a wadi system that must have appeared like an endless maze to them. Hemmed into the left and right, they could only travel in one direction - and the only path through that wadi leads to the enourmous beach - so big it can be seen on satellite maps.
On the north end of the beach area are the remains of an ancient Egyptian fortress - another evidence that Egyptain territory extended all the way through the Sinai peninsula. We believe this was Pihahiroth.
As they were now encamped between Migdol and the sea, Migdol could be either the mountains to the west, which make a perfect barrier, enclosing them on the beach, or it may have been a watch-tower atop one of those mountains. (The name "Migdol" means "tower" or "fortress".)
The Egyptians had watch-posts all through the Sinai peninsula. It is documented that they flashed messages from tower to tower by day and night, using reflected light. Perhaps this is how Pharaoh knew exactly where the escaped slaves had gone.
On the opposite shore, in Saudi Arabia, precisely across from where they camped by the sea, is another ancient structure. All alone on the beach, it may have been a Midianite fortress, dedicated to Baal; we believe this was Baalzephon. The phrase "over against" seems to mean "opposite from" in respect to being across a body of water. (As, for example, in Deut. 32:49: "...in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho." - meaning, across the Jordan River from Jericho).
What is the Red Sea?
On a map, you will notice that the Red Sea is quite large, extending from Ethiopia and Yemen in the south, it separates northern Africa from Arabia. At its northern end, it splits into 2 arms - the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.
"The wilderness of the Red Sea" through which Israel travelled (Ex.13:18) was the land between the 2 arms of the Red Sea. We learn also that "king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom." (1 Kings 9:26).
This is definitely speaking of the Gulf of Aqaba, because we know where Eloth (Eilat) was. It is the same Red Sea across which Moses led the escaping Hebrews.
The Red Sea of Moses' day was the same Red Sea we know today - the main body of the lower Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.
Modern Maps in Error
From speculation that the Israelities had crossed the Gulf of Suez, names from the Exodus story were inserted on maps by guesswork.
But since chariot parts have not been found, not in the Gulf of Suez, but in the Gulf of Aqaba, all these maps need to be re-drawn.
In reality, there is no Sinai peninsula. That is a misnomer. The biblical name for this area was, rather, "the wilderness of the Red Sea". And Mount Sinai? It is not here, but in Saudi Arabia! That much is now certain.
GO TO PART 2
