Exodus from Egypt

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Where was Goshen?

This area was given to Jacob and his family when they moved to Egypt (Gen 47:5-6). It became the Hebrew's homeland for up to 430 years and remained separate from the main Egyptian centers.

• #1 Egypt is not watered anymore since Old Testament times (excluding the entire Nile Area)

Gen 13:10 "And Lot having lifted up his eyes, observed all the country round about Jordan, that it was all watered, before THEOS overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha, as the garden of KYRIOS, and as the land of Egypt, until you come to Zogora.

• #2 Goshen was at the fringe of Egypt and not 200 kilometers west!

Gen 46:34 "You shall say, we your servants are herdsmen from our youth until now, both we and our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of GOSHEN OF ARABIA, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians."

• #3 Goshen was close to Gaza, not 250+ kilometers apart as the traditional location.

Exo 13:17 "And when Pharaoh sent forth the people, THEOS led them not by the way of the LAND OF THE PHYLISTINES, because IT WAS NEAR; for THEOS said, Lest at any time the people repent when they see war, and return to Egypt. 18 And THEOS led the people round by the WAY OF THE WILDERNESS, to THE RED SEA"

Jos 10:41 "And Joshua struck them from KADESH-BARNEA as far as GAZA, and all the country of GOSHEN, as far as GIBEON."

> There are divided opinions on this last reference. While some scholars assign it to the same Goshen, others claim it to be a duplicate and transfer it northwards close to Jerusalem (see coordinates 31.847451, 35.183351; tribe of Judah because of the mention in Jos 15:51).

But we all agree that Judah extended to the very southern border of the promised land and the duplicate-option is solely based on the misinterpretation of the Brook of Egypt as Nile and the respective erroneous localization of the land of Goshen. If Goshen was adjacent to the future Canaan, then we have an entirely different scenario where there is no need to create a duplicate-option.

• #4 Goshen was an area very close or probably adjacent to the River of Egypt, having formed the border with the Philistines.

Gen 15:18 "On that day KYRIOS made a covenant with Abram saying, "To your offspring I will give this land, from the RIVER OF EGYPT [clearly not the Nile, but the eastern border of Egypt] to the great river, the Euphrates river ..."

• #5 Goshen was not in Africa as commonly assumed, but most certainly on the Sinai Peninsula.

Gen 45:10 "And thou shalt dwell in the land of GOSHEN OF ARABIA ..."

While the Sinai Peninsula was mostly in Egyptian possession (since the First Dynasty in 3100 BC and most probably in the time of the Exodus; see timeline in the separate entry), it was later temporarily part of Arabia, which even caused the inclusion of the term 'GOSHEN OF ARABIA' in the Greek Old Testament (written approx. 250 BC). It reflected through this designation very early, what the Romans would only adapt in 106 AD, when they officially named the Sinai Peninsula "ARABIA".

Moses did most probably not yet know the term 'Arabia' in his time and would have called it 'Goshen of Egypt'. Arabia covered later the southern part, and for some time even the entire Sinai Peninsula including Goshen in the north. [1]

• #6 There is a reason why archeologists have never found a significant and directly assigned substance in the traditionally researched region.

Where is the Biblical Red Sea?

The Red Sea was the very deep river or rather ocean which the Israelites crossed miraculously and where Pharaoh and his army died therein.

• #1 Opposite of the Sea and Land of the Philistines

• #2 The Red Sea is the border of Canaan

Many scholars claim the Gulf of Suez to be the biblical Red Sea, but such a claim is opposed by the Bible itself, which makes it perfectly clear that the Red Sea is on the side opposite to the coast of the Philistines.

Exo 23:31 "And I will set thy borders from the Red Sea, to the sea of the Phylistines, and from the wilderness to the great river Euphrates; and I will give into your hand those that dwell in the land, and will cast them out from thee."

It is a mystery why this Bible verse alone does not cease all discussions of a supposed equivalence with the Gulf of Suez, which would extend the Holy Land over the entire Sinai Peninsula.

• #3 The literal Red colour of the Sea

This colour excludes a salt water ocean and clearly implies its origin in a river which is being fed by mountains absorbing this particular colour. The satellite view already reveals this to be the case, especially when looking at the mountains to the east. Wadi Rum is e.g. famous for red stones and sand, which contain metals (iron oxide), which are being washed into the local river system. [1] [2]

• #4 The Red Sea was not a pointer far south on the horizon, but actually implied a parallel route the people travelled.

Num 14:25 "But Amalec and the Chananite dwell in the valley: to-morrow turn and depart for the wilderness BY THE WAY OF THE RED SEA."

• #5 The Land of Edom does impossibly reach until the Gulf of Suez.

1Kin 9:26 "... even that for which king Solomon built a ship in Gasion Gaber near Ælath on the shore of the extremity of the SEA in the land of Edom."

Where was Midian?

The only logical location of the biblical Midian can be east of the Jordan River, half-way between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. It was definitely not located 400 kilometers further south as the proponents of the Mt. Sinai location at Jebel al Lawz believe.

~450 years before the Exodus (in ~1898 BC, when Joseph was sold to Ismaelites / Midianites), their caravan came from the north (Gilead). ~300 years after the Exodus (~1154 BC, when Gideon and his 300 warriors pursued the Midianites far into their territory), they went as far as Jogbehah also located north, probably close to modern Amman.

• #1 It must logically be located outside of Egypt.

Exo 2:15 "And Pharaoh heard this matter, and sought to slay Moses; and Moses departed from the presence of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of MIDIAN; and having come into the land of MIDIAN, he sat on the well."

• #2 East of Canaan and of the Jordan River.

Gen 25:4-6 "And the sons of MIDIAN were Gephar and Aphir, and Enoch, and Abeida, and Eldaga; all these were sons of Chettura [...] to the sons of his concubines Abraam gave gifts, and he sent them away from his son Isaac, while he was yet living, to the EAST into the COUNTRY OF THE EAST."

• #3 Closer to the latitude of Jezreel Valley; on the other side of the Jordan River.

Jdg 6:33 "And all MADIAM, and Amalek, and the SONS OF THE EAST gathered themselves together, and encamped in the VALLEY OF JEZRAEL."

• #4 Midianites were identical or part of the Ismaelites; they lived close to, or in Gilead.

Gen 37:25-36 "25 ... ISMAELITISH travellers came from GALAAD, and their camels were heavily loaded with spices, and resin, and myrrh; and they went to bring them to EGYPT. [...] 27 Come, let us sell him to these ISMAELITES [...] 28 And the men, the merchants of MADIAN, went by, and they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the ISMAELITES for twenty pieces of gold; and they brought Joseph down into EGYPT. [...] 36 And the MADIANITES sold Joseph into EGYPT; to Petephres, the eunuch of Pharao, captain of the guard."

Gen 39:1 "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Petephres the eunuch of Pharao, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the ISMAELITES, who brought him down thither."

This caravan route was part of the ΟΔΟΝ ΘΑΛΑϹϹΗϹ (Isa 8:23 Greek / Isa 9:1 Masoretic; Odon Thalasses, Way of the Sea), also called in Latin Via Maris. [1]

• #5 Route Egypt - Paran - Midian

1Kin 11:18 "They set out from MIDIAN and came to Paran and took men with them from PARAN and came to Egypt"

• #6 Gideon pursued the Midianites for approx. 100 kilometers to Succoth and close to Amman.

Jdg 8:4 "And Gedeon came to Jordan, and went over, himself and the three hundred with him, hungry, yet pursuing. 5 And he said to the men of Socchoth ..."

Jdg 8:11 "And Gedeon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents, eastward of Nabai and Jegebal; and he smote the host, and the host was secure. 12 And Zebee and Salmana fled; and he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Madiam, Zebee and Salmana ..." 

• #7 Neighbors, overlapping or very close to Moab (which is also east of Canaan).

Num 22:1-4 "And the children of Israel departed, and encamped on the west of MOAB by Jordan toward Jericho. [...] 4 And MOAB said to the elders of MIDIAN, Now shall this assembly lick up all that are round about us [...] and Balac son of Sepphor was king of MOAB at that time."

• #8 Not too far from Moses' place of death north of Moab.

Num 31:1-2 "Avenge the wrongs of the children of Israel on the MIDIANITES, and afterwards thou shalt be added to thy people."

• #9 Midian died in the plains of Moab (East of Jericho).

Gen 36:35 "... Adad ... who cut off Madiam in the plain of Moab ..."

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