Red Sea (Crossing)

“A path of dry ground laid open between the parted waters”

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Photo: Jorge Láscar · CC BY 2.0

Scenes

The Sinai coast where red rock mountains fall to a turquoise seaVyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0

An old boat on an empty shore, the morning open to the seaMarc Ryckaert · CC BY 3.0

A calm, empty Red Sea shore, hazy mountains across the gulf — At the deserted water's edge, the sea to be crossed lies still and openMohamed3171979 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Meaning

Red rock mountains fall straight into a turquoise sea, and the sea wind draws long over the ripples reaching the shore.

Exodus tradition holds that Israel crossed the Red Sea by a path where the waters parted, leaving Egypt behind. The Hebrew Yam Suph is also rendered 'Sea of Reeds,' and various traditions honor the coasts of the Sinai Peninsula as the place of the crossing.

Voices across time

“I will sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously — horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”
— The Song of the Sea, as Exodus tells it

Roads through this light

The Exodus — Across the Wilderness to the Promised Land

“A path of dry ground where the sea parted, crossed between walls of water”

Field notes

Location: Sinai Coast · Red Sea · N29.0° · E34.7°
Best time: Early morning and dusk, when the sea's colour is clearest
Getting there: Along the Red Sea coast of the Sinai Peninsula, by the bays toward Nuweiba and Taba.
Etiquette: Respect the protected shoreline and the life of local communities.

Sources

· Encyclopaedia Britannica
· Hebrew Bible, Book of Exodus

Wikipedia

Photographs are freely licensed works from Wikimedia Commons and similar sources; the author and license appear beneath each image.