Biblical Hebrew Forum

[James Christian <jc.bhebrew AT googlemail.com>]

Does anybody have any thoughts on the locations of Marah, Desert of Etham
and Elim. One thing I noticed while reading Numbers 33 is that it seems to
put pay to the theory 'Sea of Reeds' as after a 3 day journey through the
desert to Marah and then another journey to Elim the Hebrews were able to
camp by the sea again. This wouldn't make any sense in favour of a 'Sea of
Reeds' theory. Some people equate Elim with Wadi Gharandal. There is a lot
of water there but it's a little salty. However, I suppose that slightly
salty water would be quite refreshing after a few days of sweating through a
march through the desert.

I was also thinking about Uyun Musa. Does anybody know how and why it got
its name? It doesn't seem a fit place for a three day journey in the desert.
I would estimate that the Hebrew camp of men, women, children and animals
would have been able to march at least 20km per day (2km per hour for 10
hours).

Then after leaving the Red sea at Elim they camp in the Desert of Sin. Could
the desert of Sin be the desert we find at the foot of table like mountain
that stretches across the Sinai peninsula opposite Serabith El-Khadim? (the
Sheik who lives at the foot of this mountain is a nice bloke. His son
describes himself as 'The King of the desert')

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=uk&geocode=&q=khadim&sll=29.189933,33.314667&sspn=0.460972,0.878906&ie=UTF8&hq=khadim&hnear=&ll=29.054369,33.52272&spn=0.46158,0.878906&t=h&z=11

James Christian