Exodus Route Map

QUESTION: Exodus Route Map – Is There Such a Thing?

ANSWER:

The Goshen area of Egypt (present day Suez) is the general area where the Old Testament Patriarchs first entered the Land of Egypt. This is also the general area where the Israelites ultimately left Egypt… for good!

Do we know the exact routes of entry and exit for the Israelites? No. But it’s the land bridge between Africa and Asia, now marked by the 119-mile Suez Canal, and the area at the top of the Red Sea, where a huge chapter in biblical history occurred.

Exodus Route Map – Red Sea to Mount Sinai
When it comes to the Exodus account, you probably know most of the story. Moses delivers a message from God and tells Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” After a little persuasion through frogs, gnats, boils, etc., Pharaoh finally gets the message. After a crazy Red Sea crossing, the Israelites head out on what becomes a 40-year-journey, including a stop at Mount Sinai to pick up the 10 Commandments. There’s an idol of a cow, a rock that spews water… OK, you got it.

Anyway, biblical archaeologists have a number of theories about the route the Israelites took “out of Egypt” during the Exodus. This includes the actual spot where the Red Sea -- or some would say, the Reed Sea -- miraculously parted, and the ultimate location of Mount Sinai. In fact, there are about 13 major sites proposed for Mount Sinai by a variety of scholars. Some of the proposed routes and locations can probably be ignored, because they just don’t match the geographical clues in the biblical record, but others are pretty compelling.

The fascinating thing is that archaeological, geographical, and textual clues are being collected all the time. The fun thing is to get out here with your Bible and a spirit of adventure and see what happens.