THE PASSAGE OF THE RED SEA BY THE ISRAELITES. 275 



have been somewhere at the head of the present Bitter Lakes 

 or a httle higher up towards Tirasah, where there would be 

 broad shallows similar to those existing at Lake Menzaleh. 



Viewing matters as they were at the time of the Exodus, 

 the situation would be as follows : Pharaoh at Tanis, which 

 is about tAventy-five miles north-west of Kantara ; the 

 headquarters and assembling of the Israelites at Rameses 

 some distance westwards of Ismailia. The main road out 

 of Egypt being by Kantara, Avith possibly a well-guarded 

 by-route over the El Guisr plateau. Being the season of low 

 Nile (Passover) the cultivated country would be dry and 

 passable everywhere. 



When Moses received permission to go, it was naturally 

 expected he would take the usual road; this, for the reasons 

 given in Exodus xiii, 17, 18, he did not do, but turned down 

 south as mentioned. Pharaoh was much astonished, and 

 said, " They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath 

 shut them in." A glance at the map will show that in 

 turning south the Israelites were apparently marching 

 towards the waterless desert of Gebel GenefFeh, on the west 

 shore of the Red Sea, from which there was no exit ; but 

 instead of continuing due south they made, as already 

 stated, a halt at Pi-hahiroth (chapter xiv, 2). This sudden 

 counter-march probably alarmed the Egyptians, wlio then 

 possibly feared some scheme of the Israelites which would 

 cause further trouble. A large force of mounted men was at 

 once sent to follow, with doubtless instructions to attack and 

 delay the Israelites, if necessary, till enough infantry arrived 

 to overpower them. This force arrived and camped near 

 the fugitives, just as they got to the seashore (chapter xiv, 

 9). During the night an easterly gale commenced, and with 

 the slightest northing in the wind the shallows referred to 

 would naturally be free from water by the morning. This 

 was so. The Israelites evidently all pushed over at 

 daybreak, and the Egyptians, seeing them escaping, sent 

 their mounted men (chariots) forward to stop them. On 

 coming to the wet mud they at once " dragged heavily," and 

 could not get on, but by this time the Israelites would be 

 across, and the easterly gale stopping, the water would at 

 once flow back again and drown all those out on the mud. 

 From chapter xiv, 10, the wind apparently Avent round to 

 the west as soon as the Israelites were over ; this would 

 cause the water to return to its original place Avith great 

 rapidity. 



