Page 32 - Advanced Biblical Backgrounds Student Textbook

There has also been considerable scholarly debate over precisely where the Israelites went after they
left Egypt. Overall, this debate is related to the precise meaning of the Hebrew phrase yam suph, which
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is often translated “Red Sea” (i.e., the King James version). Some scholars have argued that the phrase
should be translated “Sea of Reeds.” These same scholars have claimed the location of this Sea of Reeds
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was a lake which is now part of the Suez Canal system. Vos argues against this view and for the
traditional view that the Sea should be understood as the Red Sea. His reasoning for this is complex, but
it is broadly based references to the Sea in the Old and New Testament as well as archeological findings
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from this period. For the pastor there is probably little importance regarding which route they took
other than simply knowing where God led the people during their wanderings. The important point is
that they followed God through the Sinai Peninsula to the promised land. Knowing the route is very
important if one is looking for artifacts that show the historicity of the Old Testament.

Archaeological Evidence of Moses Crossing the Red Sea

For more information about the site of Mt Sinai in Saudi Arabia and where Israel crossed the Red Sea,
watch:
Finding the Mountains of Moses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjrxHqNy5CQ
The Real Mount Sinai Found in Saudi Arabia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24cLX3o56rk

The government during the wilderness wandering

The Jewish people who took part in the exodus came from a totalitarian regime. They had operated
under an absolute ruler in the Pharaoh. The government transition for these newly freed people was
dynamic. In many ways, the government of the people of God during this period resembled “theocracy.”

60 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 87.
61 Ibid.
62 Ibid.

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