Michael G. Hasel
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. And the sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Exodus 14:21, 22.
The issues surrounding this passage are these: (1) How could the large number of Israelites with their flocks have been organized enough to cross the sea quickly? (2) Would not the time required for this crossing have been much longer than the few hours of one night which the text describes? and (3) Could not the Egyptian chariots have caught up with slow moving Israelites on foot?
The number of Israelites – Numbers 1:46; 26:51 and Exodus 12:37 consistently portray the Israelites as numbering about 600,000 men. With women and children that number could be estimated at around 2,000,000 people. It is true that the Hebrew term ’eleph (“thousand” in Num 1:21, 23, 25, 27, etc.) may mean clan or family in some contexts (Judg 6:15; 1 Sam 10:19, NKJV); however, this meaning does not appear to be the intention in Numbers 1 and 26. For one thing, ’eleph, “thousand” is not the only designation used, the additional figures of “hundreds” and “fifties” are employed in conjunction with ’eleph (e.g., the tribe of Gad numbered 45,650, Num 1:25). Second, in each case, the numbers from all the tribes are totaled and the numbers consistently add up to over 600,000. Finally, the offering of a half shekel is requested from all males and the total adds up to exactly half of the number found in Numbers 1.1
There are other assumptions that need further attention. For one thing, many might imagine that the Israelites were an unorganized group of men, women, and children who were moving out of Egypt in a rather haphazard manner with their flocks and herds. When the threat of the Egyptian army becomes evident, the disorganization becomes even more intense. Finally, some assume that the passage through the sea was very narrow and would have required a nearly single-file advance that would have indeed taken several days. These assumptions, however, are not supported by the biblical account.
The crossing was a miracle – First, we must remember that throughout the Old Testament this crossing is recognized as a miraculous event made possible by the intervention of God. As the Egyptian army approached, the Israelites “became very frightened” and “cried out to the Lord” (Exod 4:13). The Lord reassured Moses, and the pillar of fire, or “Angel of the Lord,” moved behind them, separating Israel from the Egyptians all night as the sea was parted and was prepared for their crossing. Even though the Egyptians were equipped for swift action, the cloud prevented such action against Israel. This intervention allowed the Israelites the necessary time to begin the crossing. As the last of the Israelites crossed, the cloud remained behind Israel and followed them into the sea so that the Egyptians also entered. It was in the morning that “the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion” (Exod 14:24).
The site of the crossing – The location of the crossing is probably not through the Gulf of Aqaba to Saudi Arabia. Recent studies have shown the crossing to be into the Sinai region. 2 Ellen G. White wrote, “The Hebrews were encamped beside the sea, whose waters presented a seemingly impassible barrier before them, while on the south a rugged mountain obstructed further progress” (PP 283, 284). Some have interpreted the Hebrew yam suph as Sea of Reeds instead of Red Sea. Based on the lexicographical evidence and recent geographical research, archaeologists have located the crossing through a chain of lakes, known as the Bitter Lakes, in the Isthmus of Suez. The water levels in these lakes and the Red Sea would have been much higher in ancient times than they are today. However, there are no mountains anywhere in this area. The only possible location that fits both the biblical description and the Ellen G. White statement, must place the crossing at the northern tip of the Gulf of Suez where the mountain Jebel TAtaqa reaches down to the gulf.
The manner of the crossing – Exodus 13:18 states that God led the Israelites “around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.” The key phrase “in martial array” indicates that this exodus was an organized march in military formation. The Hebrew verb for “in martial array” derives from the number five and could be translated “and the sons of Israel went up in fives”; that is, the people were divided into five major divisions. The Bible does not indicate the size of these divisions or the way in which they were organized, but it is important to remember that Moses, who was a prince of Egypt and destined to be its next king, was militarily trained and would have known how to organize a large group in military formation. It is interesting that the very same term is used in Joshua 1:14 and 4:12 to describe the organization just before Israel crosses the Jordan River into the Promised Land. This organization meant that Israel did not walk from Egypt or through the sea in single file or in a haphazard manner.
The Bible also does not indicate how wide the area of dry land was. Two million Israelites, divided into five divisions, the Israelites may have stood 600 abreast which would have been less than half a mile wide. Thus each of the five divisions of about four hundred thousand people (c. 600 abreast and 670 deep) could have occupied less than four miles in length, having added another mile for flocks and herds. If the opening in the sea was a mile wide, it would have allowed an even wider advance. Even so, given that the rate of walking would not have exceeded more than thirty minutes for one mile and given that the width of the sea at that location was about ten miles, the crossing could have been accomplished within 5-6 hours or in one night.
1 For a more detailed discussion, see John J. Davis, Biblical Numerology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1968), 58-91. The view of a large numbers of Israelites in the Exodus is also supported by Ellen G. White (PP 281).
2 James K. Hoffmeier, Israel in Egypt: The Evidence for the Authenticity of the Exodus Tradition (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 208, 209.