Sea
Red Sea
RED SEE · Modern Red Sea / Gulf of Suez region, Egypt · Also called Yam Suph, Sea of Reeds
Red Sea is a sea of the biblical world.
What is known
- The exact body of water and crossing point of the Exodus 'Yam Suph' (literally 'Sea of Reeds') are genuinely disputed among scholars — proposals range from the northern arm of the Red Sea proper (the Gulf of Suez) to shallower lakes and marshland north of it, such as Lake Timsah, the Bitter Lakes, or the Ballah Lakes region, which better fit the literal meaning 'Sea of Reeds'
- According to Exodus, God parted the waters by a strong east wind all night, allowing Israel to cross on dry ground, and the returning waters then drowned Pharaoh's pursuing army and chariots (Exodus 14:21-28)
- The crossing is commemorated in the Song of Moses and Miriam, one of the oldest poetic passages in the Hebrew Bible (Exodus 15:1-21)
- The traditional English rendering 'Red Sea' comes from the Septuagint's Greek 'Erythra Thalassa,' which the Greek translators applied broadly to the Red Sea and its gulfs; the Hebrew 'Yam Suph' is used elsewhere in the Bible to describe the Gulf of Aqaba as well, showing the term covered more than one body of water
History
- Coordinates
- 29.5000° N, 32.5500° E
Scripture references
- Exodus 13:18
- Exodus 14:1-31
- Exodus 15:1-21
- Exodus 15:22
- Numbers 33:8-11
- Joshua 2:10
- Joshua 4:23
- Psalm 106:7-11
On a modern map
Further reading
Reflect
Israel stood trapped between the sea and an army until the path appeared — where are you waiting on a way through that hasn't opened yet?
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