Bible Dictionary
Red Sea, Passage of
The passage of the Red Sea was the miraculous deliverance in which God opened a way for Israel through the waters, while Pharaoh’s pursuing army was overwhelmed when the waters returned.
Definition
The passage of the Red Sea was the divinely accomplished deliverance in which the Israelites crossed through the sea while Pharaoh’s pursuing army was overwhelmed.
Biblical Usage
The event is recorded in Exodus 14:22-31 and became a central biblical testimony to God’s power and deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
Historical Background
The exact crossing site has been disputed. The supplied material favors the neighborhood of Suez and notes that the Gulf of Suez may then have extended much farther north than it does today.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
The account of the march of the Israelites through the Red Sea is given in Ex. 14:22-31. There has been great diversity of opinion as to the precise place where this occurred. The difficulty of arriving at any definite conclusion on the matter is much increased by the consideration that the head of the Gulf of Suez, which was the branch of the sea that was crossed, must have extended at the time of the Exodus probably 50 miles farther north than it does at present. Some have argued that the crossing took place opposite the Wady Tawarik, where the sea is at present some 7 miles broad. But the opinion that seems to be best supported is that which points to the neighbourhood of Suez. This position perfectly satisfies all the conditions of the stupendous miracle as recorded in the sacred narrative. (See EXODUS.)