Episode 159: Exodus - New Information, (16 of 26)

For more information and sources you could check out http://akinforthetruth.net.   Last time we concluded that the Gulf of Aqaba, not that of the Suez, for historical and archaeological and Biblical reasons, is the better candidate for the miraculous Red Sea crossing recorded in the book of Exodus.   So, if the Gulf of Aqaba is that referred to by Scripture, where along its Eastern shore would we be able to mark Israel’s crossing? Two possibilities can be located. The first is found near the southern tip of the Sinai…a world famous and popular location because of its spectacular coral reefs and aquatic life, called the Straits of Tiran.   The Straits of Tiran are the narrow sea passages, about 13 km (8 miles) wide, between the and peninsulas which separates the from the .   It is named after located at its inflow, on which the has an observation post to monitor the compliance of in maintaining freedom of navigation of the straits as provided under the .   Aside from being quite out of the way in any direct path towards Midian and Mt. Sinai, it is noted that the steep, jagged terrain and coral-covered floor would be impossible for men, women, children, carts, as well as Egyptian chariots, to traverse, even if the water had been miraculously removed.   However, while traveling nearly 70 miles northward along the Aqaba coast one encounters a large beach-head on the Sinai side, somewhat centered on the Aqaba coast, called the Nuweiba Peninsula. Nuweiba lies on a large flood plain measuring about 40km² (25 square miles), sandwiched between the Sinai mountains and the Gulf of Aqaba, and is located some 465 km (289 miles) southeast from Cairo and 70 km (43 miles) south of the Israel- border.   Is Nuweiba large enough to accommodate such a large population of, perhaps three million, as is implied by Scripture?