Biblical Hebrew Forum

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

Hi all,

just got back from a trip to Isreal and the Sinai peninsula. I've had
reservations before but now I'm more than ever convinced that I have real
problems with the identification of Kadesh-Barnea. It just doesn't seem to
make any sense whatsoever. Moses asks Edom permission to cross his land
along the King's Highway while at Kadesh-Barnea but modern identification of
Kadesh-Barnea is over a hundred km from it across the desert. It is also
very far from the red mountains we associate with Edom with yellow Negev on
all sides and yet from Kadesh-Barnea Moses told Edom that he was at his
borders.

If we postulate that Mount Sinai is Gebel Musa in the Sinai peninsula the
traditional route through the wadis as maintained by the local Bedouines
makes sense (it is the route that any pastor would normally take). Following
this route through the wadis we get a more or less v shape with a
straightish line down to Gebel Musa and a straightish line up to Eilat. From
here we are close to the King's Highway and not too far from the red
mountains of Edom.

Is there anything more than the connection to Arabic name Qadeis that could
give me any hint of confidence with the modern identification of
Kadesh-Barnea?

James Christian