Beth-El Baptist Church

04/22/2009

Greg Tomlinson


Did Israel cross the Red Sea or a shallow Reed Sea?


There are some scholars who believe that Israel did not cross the Red Sea but a shallow Reed Sea.


  1. How are the words translated?

Exodus 10:18-20; 13:17-19 – “Red Sea” (26 total verses)

Exodus 2:1-5; Isaiah 19:5-7 - “flags or reeds or rushes” (3 total verses)

Isaiah 66:7; Jeremiah 8:13; Zephaniah 1:2-3; Esther 9:28 – “consumed, perish” (5 total verses)

Other translations include: Utterly (consumed), end, conclusion, hinder part, weed


There are actually 2 Hebrew words (yam suph). The Hebrew word yam is always translated as “sea” while suph is usually found with yam and the two are translated as “Red Sea”. When suph is found by itself, it is translated as being associated with marsh plants or as and end of something.


Acts 7:36; Hebrews 11:29 – “eruthros” translated as “Red”. In the LXX, it is the Greek used for the “Red Sea” translations.


  1. What is known about the path to the Red Sea?

Exodus 12:37; 13:20, 14:1-2, 9, 12


The Israelites began their trip in Rameses where the Israelites first dwelt in Egypt (Genesis 47:11). From Rameses to Succoth to Etham to Pihahiroth between Migdol and the sea near Baalzephon.

This is where Israel was trapped. Between the armies of Pharoah and the “Red Sea” which was crossed. It is therefore the location of Pihahiroth, Migdol, and Baalzephon that is crucial to understanding what exactly the “Red Sea” is.

Pihahiroth means “place where sedge grows” is a marsh plant

Migdol means “tower” which probably indicates a special fortified city near the edge of the Egyptian border.

Baalzephon means “lord of the north”, but north of what? Egypt? What we now call the Red Sea?


Furthermore, there are three paths that scholars choose for the Exodus, the Northern route through portions of the Mediterranean Sea, a central route through the Great Bitter Lake, and the Southern Route through what we now call the Gulf of Suez.


Exodus 13:17-18


These key verses rules out a northern path because that would send Israel into the land of the Philistines. That leaves either the Great Bitter Lake or the Gulf of Suez as the path way.


  1. What are the particular events associated with the crossing of the Red Sea?

Exodus 14:3, 10-16, 21-29


As far as all of Israel and Egypt are concerned, the Israelites are cornered with no way out. This means that the crossing must be associated with a large enough body of water and other physical features the would prohibit an easy escape by scattering and/or going around the water. There were only two ways out, through the Egyptians or through the “Red Sea”. When the sea was divided, the division caused the building up of enough water to form a “wall”. This indicates sufficient height to make an impression. The was also existed on both the right and left hands of the people walking through it. After the LORD released the Egyptians to follow after Israel, they drove their chariots hard after them. After the chariots broke apart, they ran away from Israel. The water was then returned to its prior place. In the process, the pursuing Egyptians and chariots were completely covered. In order for them to be covered, the water must be deep. Now, there were 600 chariots, which had to be covered. All of this demonstrates that the body of water called the Red Sea is a rather huge body of water that is also fairly deep.


Summary:


Taking all of this together, the most likely identification for the Red Sea is what is called the Gulf of Suez. The body of water is wide enough and deep enough to be able to cover the pursuing Egyptian Army.