Written by S.K.
Being on the Red Sea is one of the things that make Jordan special. We had read about the Israelites crossing the Red Sea many times in our Bibles and we were excited to see it.  The first time our family went swimming there, I remember hearing that the Red Sea crossing was slightly south of Aqaba. Later I looked at a map in the back of my Bible that gave 4 different possible locations for the Red Sea Crossing.  It was then that I realized the location of the Exodus had been a disputed subject for a long time.  I didn’t know much about the different possible locations for the Red Sea Crossing.  It was something I hadn’t considered.  All I knew was that the Bible said it was in the Red Sea.
Here is a picture of the map in the back of my Bible.
The traditional site (1) places the crossing at a little, shallow, swamp-like body of water, right outside of the ancient Egypt boundaries. Given the size of this body of water, the close location to the Egyptian border, the lack of any archeological evidence, and the fact that this is not part of the Red Sea; it is easy to dismiss this as a possibility.
The next possible location (2) is located on the Red Sea at the tip of the Gulf of Suez. Although this site is farther from the ancient boundary of Egypt it does not put the Israelites on a “3-day journey into the wilderness”, before reaching the crossing site. (These verses refer to the “3-day journey” Ex. 3:18; 5:3; 8:27.) There is no archeological evidence that has been found at this site either.
In Exodus 13:18, we are told that YHWH led Israel around by the “wilderness of the Red Sea”. This “wilderness” would have been what is today known as the “Sinai Peninsula”. A three-day journey through this wilderness would put the Israelites on the other side of the Sinai Peninsula; on the Gulf of Aqaba. There are two different possible crossing locations on the Gulf of Aqaba (A and B). Site A is located about halfway down the gulf at Nuweiba Beach.  Nuweiba is short for “Nuwayba’al al Muzayyimah” meaning “waters of Moses”!  Site B is located at the bottom tip of the Gulf. Either of these two locations would put Mt. Sinai in Saudi Arabia (ancient Midian), which agrees with Galatians 4:25, and many archeological discoveries.
Our family watched a presentation by Jim and Penny Caldwell called, Exploring Arabia’s Sinai.  In this 4-hour teaching, they share a lot of information about their research and findings regarding the journey of the Israelites.  They have been in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia and have extensively explored the region looking for evidence as to the exact locations of the events in the Bible.  For continued study on this subject, we recommend their teaching.  Below is a link to their store where you can purchase this video set.
http://splitrockresearch.org/content/Store/
We believe that the Red Sea Crossing occurred at site A, given the layout of the landscape and the massive archeological discoveries that have been found in that area.  In Exodus 14:1, YHWH says to camp before “Pi Hihiroth”, meaning “mouth of hole or canyon”. Nuweiba Beach is at the opening of a canyon that the Israelites would have been traveling through. This opening would have also been the perfect spot for the angel of YHWH to stand and separate between the Israelites and the Egyptian army. (Ex. 14:19-20)
On the north end of Nuweiba Beach, there are ruins of a fortified city. In the same verse above YHWH says to camp between “Migdol”, meaning “fortified city or tower,” and the Sea.  If you visit Nuweiba Beach, you will see that both ends are bordered by cliffs with really nowhere to go. That is why Pharaoh would have said, “They are entangled in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.” (Ex. 14:3)
Throughout the Gulf of Aqaba, the depth is about 5,000 feet, except at one location—Nuweiba Beach. Here there is a 10-mile long and a ¼ to ½ mile wide sand bridge which joins the two countries together. This sand bridge is fairly level and has a depth of only 1,000 feet.  This would have given the Israelites a gentle slope to walk on and to bring their carts across but at the same time been plenty deep enough to drown the Egyptian army. Any other area along the Red Sea would not be suitable for crossing given the many cliffs and drop-offs.
Many archeological artifacts were found between Nuweiba and the corresponding Arabian beach in 1987. Coral-covered chariot wheels, frames, and possible chariot cabs have been found all along the sand bridge. These chariot wheels have 4, 6, and 8-spoke wheels, which were only used when the Exodus took place. Golden chariot wheels have also been found, and since coral does not grow on gold, the shape has remained quite distinct. These golden wheels could very well have been the wheels that were on Pharaoh’s chariot. Human and horse bones covered in coral were also found at this site.
Human bones were discovered at the bottom of the Red Sea, where the Exodus Crossing likely was!
    
Above: Picture of a golden chariot wheel, a chariot wheel covered in coral, and human bones, all found at this Crossing site.
Last, but not least, are Solomon’s Pillars. There are 2 huge pillars on each side of the Red Sea that King Solomon set up as a memorial to the Red Sea crossing. One is found on the south end of Nuweiba Beach and the other is across the Sea on the Saudi border. When the pillar on the Egyptian side was rediscovered in 1978, there were Hebrew words inscribed in it like Mizram (Egypt), death, Pharaoh, Edom, Moses, YHWH, and Solomon. Unfortunately, these words have been removed by the Egyptian government since then.
As I researched this topic, I found many websites that say there is no archeological evidence that supports what is found in the Bible. Â This is unfortunate because it makes people doubt the validity of the Bible. Â These writers probably have not researched the topic very well and most likely have never been to Nuweiba or explored the area.
While living in this part of the world, I have enjoyed getting to know Biblical sites more. It is amazing how all of these artifacts and information have been discovered in the last 40 years. The testimony of the first Exodus is another reminder of the future Ingathering and coming deliverance of YHWH’s people.
Bibliography:
http://www.arkdiscovery.com/red_sea_crossing.htm
https://friendsofgod.org/Evidence/red_sea_crossing_found.html
https://mysteriousearth.net/2016/04/21/evidence-of-the-crossing-of-the-red-sea/
