Walking From Egypt To Israel For Moses and Exodus and Today

 Nadene Goldfoot                                             

                      Notice Edom and Moab in relation to water and Judah

While the general geography is recognizable, the physical landscape has undergone subtle changes over thousands of years.  Water Bodies: Some scholars believe the coastline of the Gulf of Suez gradually receded over centuries, meaning the exact crossing point of the "Red Sea" (or "Reed Sea") might have looked different (possibly marshier) at the time of the Exodus than it does today. Water Tables: The water tables and general availability of water sources have likely changed significantly since the Early Iron Age, affecting agricultural potential and settlement patterns. 

• Wandering Route: The land the Israelites traveled through during the 40 years in the wilderness (the Sinai Peninsula and Transjordan plateau) is also a region that modern Israel has only briefly controlled at various times in its recent history (such as the Sinai after the 1967 war, which was later returned to Egypt). 
• Biblical Boundaries: According to passages in Genesis and Exodus, the ideal boundaries extended from the "River of Egypt" (likely the Wadi el-Arish, not the Nile) to the Euphrates River. This territory would encompass all of modern-day Israel, including Gaza and the West Bank, as well as significant portions of Jordan, Syria, and even a small part of modern Saudi Arabia and Iraq.  Maybe that's what these countries were worried about-losing their countries!  

The land from Egypt to Israel, historically the Sinai Peninsula and Canaan, transitions from Egypt's fertile Nile delta to arid desert, crossing the Sinai's rocky expanse (often depicted as the Red Sea crossing point, perhaps the Gulf of Suez or Aqaba) into the hills, valleys, and Mediterranean coast of the Levant, a land bridge rich in ancient history, contrasting sharply with Egypt's irrigated agriculture, relying more on rain and diverse terrain.

The Sinai Desert has a hot, arid desert climate with extreme temperature swings, featuring scorching summers (up to 32°C/90°F) and cool winters (down to 2°C/36°F in mountains), very low rainfall, and significant regional differences, with cooler, wetter winters in the Mediterranean north and mountainous south, while coastal areas see higher humidity and strong, dry Shamal winds, but climate change is bringing more erratic heavy rains and drought. 

 The path involves crossing the vast, harsh Sinai wilderness, featuring mountains, desert plains, and nomadic routes, leading eventually to the fertile "Promised Land,"

Edom (also called Idumea) also (Mount Seir)  land in southeast, with mountainous and easily fortified terrain and bordered on the Red Sea at Elath and Ezion Geber.  The Edomites were of Semitic origin, descendants of Esau, lived by hunting. 

Moab: lies in southern Transjordan, the land for "field"  of Moab is bounded by the river Heshbon in the north and the river Zered in the south, the Jordan and Dead Sea to the west.  and the Syrian Desert on the east.  The Moabites were also kindred to the Israelites, being traditionally descended-- like the Ammonites--from Lot (Gen. 19:37).  Their language was akin to biblical Hebrew.  they settled in their land which had been captured from the Rephaim (Deut.2: 10-11). 

 During the Exodus Period, part of this territory came under the rule of the Amorite monarch, Sihon, but after his defeat by the Israelites.  The land was occupied by Israel and became an object of contention between Israel, Moab and Ammon. 

 Originally divided up into small tribes, the Moabites united into a single kingdom, and it was their 2nd ruler, Balak, who summoned Balaam to curse the Israelites. Under their king Eglon, the Moabites extended their territory to the Jericho region until Eglon was killed by Ehud, a judge from the tribe of Benjamin.  King David conquered Moab (II Sam. 8:2)   which remained under the suzerainty of the Northern Kingdom down to  the rebellion of Mesha of Moab (II Kings. 1:1) also read about the Moabite Stone.  In the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III, Moab became an Assyrian province.            

Sinai Wilderness:  The Wilderness of Sinai is a rugged, mountainous desert region in the Sinai Peninsula, best known as the biblical setting for the Israelites' journey after the Exodus from Egypt. It is here that Moses received the Ten Commandments on what is traditionally identified as Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa). The wilderness is described as a harsh and challenging environment, symbolizing a time of testing, divine revelation, and the establishment of God's covenant with the Israelites, according to sources like Bible Hub, Dr. Claude Mariottini, and Wisdom Library. 

The people who attacked the Israelites during the Exodus, specifically targeting the rear guard of the old, sick, and weary, were the Amalekites.                       

They were always hostile to Israel, a nomadic people who wandered between the southern land and Canaan, attacked the Israelites in the desert near Rephidim shortly after the Exodus, annihilating the weak and weary.

Joshua finally defeated them with the Israelite army (Exod.7: 8-13).

 Highway 10 is a road in the South District of Israel. It is one of the longest routes in Israel, extending for nearly the entire border of Israel with Egypt from the Gaza Strip in the north to Sayarim junction in the south. Under a military security advisory, its entire 113-mile length is almost permanently off-limits to civilian traffic. 

The route begins in the north with the communities of Hevel Eshkol in the west, nearest to the Sinai Desert. The northern terminus is the intersection with Route 232 near Kerem Shalom. From there, it continues south adjacent to the border with Egypt. It passes by Nitzana and the Nitzana border crossing.

Highway 10 intersects with Route 211, which leads east toward Yeruham and Sde Boker. Farther south, Highway 10 intersects with Route 171, which leads east toward Mizpe Ramon.

The route continues south until Sayarim junction, where it meets Highway 12 in the mountains near Eilat. Highway 12 continues south to Eilat.

A rerouting of part of the highway was approved by Israeli planning authorities in 2012. A 30-kilometer (18.6 miles) -long section of the highway will be relocated east, further away from Israel's border with Egypt than the original route. Originally, the plan had called for two lanes of traffic in either direction. After appeals from the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and other conservationists, who argued that the new highway would profoundly impact the local dune-based environment, the plan was modified to one traffic lane in either direction.                                                   

People have walked from Egypt to Israel, but it's a challenging desert trek requiring significant water and logistical planning, often following routes similar to the biblical Exodus through the Sinai Peninsula, though modern travel is mostly by vehicle due to dangers like ISIS activity and water scarcity in the desert, with the journey typically involving crossing the Sinai to Eilat/Taba and then entering Israel.  

While there isn't a widely reported recent mass walk from Egypt to Israel, thousands of people, primarily Israelis returning home and Palestinians fleeing Gaza, have crossed the Egypt-Israel border (Taba/Eilat & Rafah crossings) by land recently, often using buses or cars, with some walking short distances within border areas, especially during conflict periods. Specific "walks" are less common than vehicle crossings, but movement through the Sinai to Eilat (Taba crossing) happens regularly for travelers, and

during crises, people walk to the Rafah crossing to exit Gaza, as seen in late 2023/2024. 

added 10:49am 12/7/2025:  The distance from Egypt to Israel varies greatly by location, but the direct land border across the Sinai Peninsula is about 128 to 206 miles (206-330 km) long, while a common driving route from Cairo to Jerusalem is around 250-300 miles, taking a few hours, though the biblical journey for Israelites took decades, symbolizing spiritual wandering, not just physical distance.