Page 29 - Biblical Backgrounds

Mount Sinai, where Moses received the law, has
historically been thought to be a peak now known
as Jebel Musa (the mountain of Moses). Other
locations, however, have been suggested for its
58
location. The Israelites could have taken multiple
routes to get to Sinai. One potential route would
have been along the Sea. Another route would
have been across central Sinai. 5960 The map to the
right shows both the route of Abraham as he came
from Ur to Canaan, as well as the traditional route
of the Jews from Egypt back to Canaan.

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 is often translated “Red Sea” (i.e., the King
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James version). Some scholars have argued that
the phrase should be translated as “Sea of Reeds.”
These same scholars have claimed the location of
this Sea of Reeds was a lake that is now part of the
62
Suez Canal system. Vos ultimately 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 on references to the Sea in the Old and New Testaments as well as archeological findings from
63
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.

#y
P4
Archaeological Evidence of Moses Crossing the Red Sea
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=favI4Lwz5yw

58 Ibid.
59 Ibid.
60 Clark, Samuel, and George Grove. “THE CHIEF PLACES MENTIONED IN THE HISTORY OF THE PATRIARCHS AND OF
THE EXODUS. Plate III., Nos. 6, 7, 8.” The Bible Atlas of Maps and Plans. London: Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge, 1868. 14.
61 Voss, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs, 87.
62 Ibid.
63 Ibid.

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