path journey times

Full Route Schedules:

Select a station to view:

Information

General Information

Bicycle Policy

Popular Destinations

Service Status (1)

Interactive Map:

Change trains at Journal Square or Grove St. for service to Newport, Christopher St., 9th St., 14th St., 23rd St., and 33rd St.

Change trains at Exchange Place for service to Hoboken (weekdays between 6:30AM-11:30PM only)

Change trains at Journal Square or Grove St. for service to Hoboken (weekends all day and weeknights between 11:30PM-6:30AM)

Connect to NYCT Subway A, C, E, 2, 3 lines at World Trade Center.

Connect to the Hudson Bergen Light Rail at Exchange Place.

Connect to Amtrak and NJ Transit rail lines at Newark.

The train departs from Newark which features a unique two-level boarding system. Arriving PATH trains use the upper level of the station (on the third floor) and departing trains use the main level of the station (the second floor). This allows arriving passengers easy access to most of the platforms below by way of staircases or ramps. It also allows departing passengers easy access to the PATH trains from the main eastbound platforms of Penn Station.

Immediately after the train departs, you will cross the Passaic River on the massive "Dock Bridge". This is another unique structure in that it supports one level of NJ Transit and Amtrak trains and two levels of PATH trains. After the bridge, a large steep ramp slopes down towards Harrison station, the first stop.

The Harrison platform is somewhat narrow and has wooden side walls with a wood canopy over most of the station. The two PATH tracks here are on either side of the main Northeast Corridor Amtrak and NJ Transit line which passes through the station but does not stop.

Soon after the train departs Harrison, you'll pass one of PATH's maintenance complexes on the right side. This is also home to a large train yard for storing their cars. Still the tracks in this area straddle the main northeast corridor tracks with the eastbound track being on the south side and westbound track being on the north side. On the left is interstate 280, a major highway through Newark. Between the highway and the westbound PATH track is the three-track Morris & Essex Lines of NJ Transit.

Eventually, the two PATH tracks come together and the northeast corridor line veers off to the north. You will soon pass under two massive elevated highway bridges of the NJ Turnpike eastern and western spurs. Just after this, the PATH tracks run parallel to a large freight yard. NJ Transit's meadows maintenance complex can be seen just to the north of this yard. On your right is the large Pulaski Skyway, stretching several miles over both the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers.

After a high-speed stretch of track, you'll cross the Hackensack River on the "Hack Bridge". To your left, you'll see a low freight train bridge and a bridge carrying traffic on NJ Route 7. These bridges frequently open to allow ships to access the coal power plant on the Hackensack River to your left.

After the bridge, the train slows as it enters western Jersey City. The right of way quickly becomes a large cut with rock visible on the right side of the train.

After a short distance through the cut, you'll enter the Journal Square yard and see the large concrete arch bridge of Journal Square in the foreground. Above it, the Journal Square Transportation Center building looms. Journal Square station is located under the large concrete arch bridge and structure of the building and plaza beyound. As such, it is about 3 stories underground, although it's open to the elements on both sides.

The 33rd Street train is located across the platform for easy transfers to midtown Manhattan. This train will continue towards downtown Manhattan.

After departing Journal Square, you will once again travel through a large cut. This time, rock is visible on both sides of the tracks. A still in use freight track runs parallel to the PATH tracks on the north side. To your right, you will eventually see another PATH maintenance complex. Large concrete roadway bridges pass over the tracks about 30 feet above.

As the tracks come out of the cut, they almost immediately descend into the portal of the underground portion of PATH. A curve in the tunnel immediately after entering aligns the tracks with Columbus Drive above. Soon you'll enter Grove Street.

Grove Street is an underground station with a single island platform and an exit on either side of the platform. It's a very simple station, but is also very busy. As the train leaves Grove Street, it will pass over a series of switches where the Journal Sq - 33rd St line diverts from this line and another set of switches shortly after where the Hoboken - World Trade Center line joins this line.

After a relatively slow trip through these tunnels, you'll arrive in Exchange Place. Exhange Place consists of two separate very deep tunnels connected by two cross passages. The station is located nearly 70 feet below ground. The station has the most modern appearance of all PATH stations. This station is located directly on the waterfront of Jersey City.

After leaving Exchange Place, the train accelerates to make the journey under the Hudson River to the World Trade Center. After crossing the river, the train winds its away around the basement of the World Trade Center to reach the station located about 50 feet underground.

Copyright (c) 2011-2018. All Rights Reserved. This site is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, PATH, The Port Authority of NY & NJ, or any other transit agency. While the information on this site is to the best of our knowledge, we cannot be held responsible or liable for errors or omissions and any circumstance or actions that may result from use of this site or its information. All information is provided for informational purposes only.

What is TravelTime?

Create a Travel Time Map

Travel time map generator & isochrones, i know i can get from a to b by public transport within my selected time, but it's not showing up.

• Walking to the station platform
• Waiting for the next available departure
• Time spent boarding the train
• Giving enough time to take the A to B journey
• Depart on the station on the other side.

You can't drive that far / you can drive much further than that"

• Open another mapping app of your choice and enter an A to B route
• Select a departure time for tomorrow.

Still not convinced?

About this tool, what is a travel time map, how to create a drive time radius map or other modes.

• Select a start location
• Select a maximum travel time limit
• Select a mode of transport, for example driving
• Voila! There's your driving radius map

Use cases for consumers

• Create a commute time map so you can see where to live based on commute time.
• How far can i travel in a given time: compare transport coverage for different areas.
• Create a drive time radius map: explore how far you can travel on a road trip.

Use cases for businesses

• Travel time mapping up to 4 hours & cross reference other data sets in GIS such as population data
• Site selection analysis: analyse the best location to locate a business by adding thousands of analysis points
• Create a distance matrix or travel time matrix & calculate travel times from thousands of origins to thousands of destinations
• Network analysis / travelling salesman problem: use spatial analytics to solve routing problems
• Commute time map - plot thousands of employee commute times for an office relocation
• Create up to 3 time polygons visualising where's reachable within 2 hours or less. Our API can create large travel time areas, talk to sales.
• Calculate travel times from an origin to various points of interest - in this demo we use points from Foursquare Give A to B routing details

Full access

• Book a demo
• Trial TravelTime API
• Trial QGIS Plugin
• Trial ArcGIS Pro Add-In
• Trial Alteryx Macros

TravelTime Features

• See 'How far can I get' in X minutes
• Create a drive time map or any other transport mode
• Overlap many shapes & highlight overlap area
• Search points of interest within the area
• Get A to B routing details

Metaphysical Wellness Center  & Supply Store

West Chicago, IL

        NEW  TJP  SHOPPING  WEBSITE  COMING  IN  MAY!        

The journey's path            a family company.

Dave & Mary Miller

For his whole life, Dave has been a seeker.  But instead of searching throughout the world, he has always sought within.  Living his day to day with his beloved wife and soulmate, Mary, Dave's journey has led him to timeless wisdom, new ideas and a sense of purpose.  For years he has worked on manifesting this metaphysical wellness center, opportunities to help others along their paths, and many more things to come. 

Mary lives her life based on love and her giving spirit.  Those ..........

close to her have a deep and comforting sense that she's always there, taking care of any and all details in the background to ensure others are well taken care of.  Although she herself is a busy business owner, running her 100 year old ink manufacturing business in the west side of Chicago, she always makes time to ensure TJP is well stocked and prepared to offer you the best products, the best facilities and the best hospitality we can.

It should come as no surprise that, as Dave's daughter, Jai was raised to find her own path and to always look toward spiritual enlightenment.  She  attempts to look for God in every one, in every mome nt.  Grateful for her supportive husband, for her children that brin g such joy, and to work with and be mentored by both of her wonderful parents, she is able to use the tools she has gained along her  own path to facilitate the center in order to assist others in their search for the n ext steps on their own journeys.

Our Zera Garden of Wellbeing  Learning Center is named after our dear friend and founding member of our team.  Greg was a natural and dedicated teacher that wanted nothing more than to help those he connected with become their best.  Although we lost Greg in November of 2022, his spirit of love and perpetual growth lives on here at TJP.  Zera Learning Center offers those that are interested in their personal journey to their best selves tools to assist in figuring out what their gifts are and how to use them to help themselves and others.  That may take the form of meditation, energy work, divination, vibrational sound, breath  work, crystal connections - or even the act of searching for information itself.  All of our paths are unique.  Let us encou rage one another and, as always, Be Well.  

The Exodus Route: Travel times, distances, rates of travel, days of the week

Buy “Exodus Route Restored” from Amazon by Steven Rudd

Buy Discounted copy: Email Steven Rudd to order:   Order discounted copy direct from author by email

Overview of the Exodus and Conquest:

In 1446 BC, the 700 km trip from Goshen (Tell el-Dab’a) to Mt. Sinai took a total of took 47 days. After travelling day and night 500 km from Goshen, Israel made the 19 km crossing of the Red Sea at the Straits of Tiran on day 25 then took 22 days to travel 200 km from the Red Sea Crossing to Mt. Sinai. Travel was easy for the 2-3 million Hebrews because there was a 20 km wide, flat coastal plain that hugged the eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez from Goshen to the Strait of Tiran, which the author calls, “The Exodus Highway”. On day 9 after leaving Goshen, they arrived at Succoth, adjacent to the turquoise mines of Serabit el-Khadim and waited for the Hebrew mining slaves to join the main group. On day 15 they reach the Straits of Tiran and pass the Egyptian Migdol watchtower stationed above the final Red Sea crossing point and on day 16 they reached the dead-end at Etham. God orders them to backtrack to the final Red Sea crossing camp beside the Migdol where God used Israel to bait Pharaoh to attack. On day 17, as Israel leaves Etham, it would take 4 hours for a passenger pigeon (cf. Eccl 10:20) to fly 400 km from the Egyptian watchtower (Migdol) back to Egypt with the message that Israel was trapped and wandering aimlessly. (If a passenger pigeon was not used, Israel travelled day and night arriving on day 7, leaving plenty of time for a message to get back to Egypt by horseback in 7 days and pharaoh to return in 7 days, maintaining a Red Sea crossing on Day 25.) For 8 days Israel camped at the Red Sea crossing point (days 17-24) while Pharaoh's army pursued them with 600 choice horse-drawn chariots (Exodus 14:6-9). On day 18 Pharaoh's army easily traveled the 400 km from Goshen to the Red Sea crossing in 7 days (days 17-24), at a rate of 57 km/day with horse-drawn chariots and arrived on day 24. The Egyptians were stopped on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez by an angel, about 36 km short of Israel’s camp. After crossing the Red Sea at the Straits of Tiran via the natural underwater land bridge on day 25, Israel travelled 3 days (day 25-27) on “The Exodus Highway” through the Wilderness of Shur and the land of Midian, then travelled 3 more days (day 28-30) and arrived at the second Red Sea camp, then one more day to reach the wilderness of Sin. The only difficult portion of the trip was the canyons between the Wilderness of Sin through Dophkah to Alush. Amazingly Scripture notes that only during this portion of the journey, they “travelled in stages” (Ex 17:1) because the terrain was narrow and difficult. Exactly 31 days after leaving Goshen they enter the Wilderness of Sin (Nisan 15 - Iyar 15: Ex 16:1). In the Wilderness of Sin Israel camped 8 days (day 31-38) to learn about the Manna/Sabbath day cycle. Leaving the Wilderness of Sin as a single group of 2-3 million, Israel arrived at Dophkah on day 39. Between Dophkah and Alush Israel travelled in small groups by “stages” through the 23 kilometers of mountain canyons to Alush on days 40-41. On days 41-42 Israel arrived in stages at Rephidim and complained about having no water. God told Moses that when he finally arrived at Mt. Horeb, he is to bring water out of the “split rock” as the main water supply for the 11 months stay camped at the foot of Mt. Sinai. On the night of day 42 the Amalekites attack and the next morning Moses assembles an army, and his hands are held up high on a hilltop on day 43. That night Jethro arrives, and watches Moses judge the people all day long on day 44. Day 45 is the second sabbath and Jethro gives Moses his advice about delegating the judging duties to others. Day 46 Jethro returns home to Midian while Moses departs for Mt. Sinai arriving after dark on day 47 which is Sivan 1 (Ex 19:1). In the morning of day 47 Moses strikes and splits the rock at Mt. Horeb for a massive water supply for 3 million Hebrews. On day 48 Moses ascends Mt. Sinai for the first time and God recites the Ten Commandments orally. Moses descends and tells the people to take an oath to obey the laws of YHWH (Ex 19:3-8). On day 50 (Thursday, Sivan 4), God tells Israel to prepare for three days (Friday – Sunday) at the end of which God will descend upon Mt. Sinai. (Ex 19:10-11). On Pentecost Sunday (Sivan 7), day 53 from leaving Egypt, Mt. Sinai explodes (Heb 12:18) when God gives the law to Moses over a period of 40 days. Israel spent 343 days (11 lunar months and 19 days) camped in the Wilderness of Sinai (Num 10:11) while Moses received the law and Israel built the Tabernacle tent. The journey from Mt. Sinai through Ezion Geber (Numbers 33:35-36) to Kadesh Barnea, was 20 stops over a period of about 11 months. Israel spends 38 years camped at Kadesh Barnea located at modern Petra. Aaron died on the 1st day of the 5th month of the 40th year of the wilderness wandering (summer 1407 BC). Shortly after mourning Aaron for 30 days, the people left Mount Hor which was beside Petra (Kadesh) and moved south to the Red Sea (“Yam Suph”- Deut 1:40 – Gulf of Aqaba) passing a second time through Ezion Geber (Deut 2:8). They journeyed east to avoid the Edomites living in the mountains and began moving north. Before they crossed the Wadi Zered, Israel rebelled again with the result that God sends poisonous snakes to kill the people. In obedience to God, Moses sets up a pole with a snake to heal them. Those who had been bitten could look at the snake and be healed as a type of the crucifixion of Christ (Jn 3:14). They crossed the Wadi Zered at the south end of the Salt Sea and Moses spoke the words of the book of Deuteronomy at Iye-abarim. The conquest began and Israel passed directly through Dibon-gad and commenced the defeat of the Transjordan nations. While camped at Shittim (Tel Hammam) Israel mourned Moses for 30 days. In 1406 BC Israel crossed the Jordan on the 10th day of the 1st month of the 41st year (spring, 1406 BC), four days before the 41st Passover, which was exactly 40 years from when they left Goshen. They started counting sabbatical years and Jubilees after crossing the Jordan. (Num 33:38; 20:28; Deut 34:8; Josh 4:19; 5:10). Israel camped at Gilgal then defeated Jericho and Ai. They traveled to Shechem and built Joshua’s Altar. The Ark of the Covenant was positioned in the valley between Mt Gerizim and Mt. Ebal with half the tribes on each of the two mountain sides. The echo-ritual “curses and blessings ceremony” of Deut 27-28 were spoken across the valley to each of the six tribes on each side. From 1406-1400 BC Israel first defeated the northern Amorite Pentapolis, then second, the southern Amorite Pentapolis. They were unable to defeat the five Philistine Pentapolis cities (Ex 13:17-18; Deut 2:23; Josh 11:22; 13:2-3; Jud 1:18-19; 3:1-3) until the time of David. The Philistines had restricted Israel’s possession of the promised land to the central hill country until 1003 BC. After 6 years of conquest war, on the first Sabbatical year of 1399 BC, Israel moved the tabernacle from Gilgal to Shiloh which served as Israel’s first capital city for 305 years until the Philistines burned the city in 1094 BC. 

Introduction:

1.       Many Christians falsely assume there is little information contained in scripture about the 50 locations of the Exodus, much less the timing. Many preachers never give this subject a look stating that we don't even know for certain any more than 4 of the 50 Exodus stops.

2.       Scripture specifically tells us the total number of days it took to travel from Goshen to Sinai: 47

a.        The day they left Goshen: Nisan 15 (Num 33:3)

b.       The day they entered the Wilderness of Sin: Iyar 15 = Day 31 (Ex 16:1)

a.        The day they arrived at the final Sinai camp in the Wilderness of Sinai : Sivan 1 = day 47 (Ex 19:1)

2.       There is a wealth of information in scripture about many of the 50 Exodus locations. We know four locations for certain and using key clues in scripture, we are able to discern several others.

a.        Goshen

b.       Wilderness of Shur near el Bad in Midian, modern Saudi Arabia

c.        Ezion Geber near Elat on the Gulf of Aqaba

d.       Kadesh Barnea at modern Petra

e.       Dibon

f.         Shittim

g.        Mt. Nebo

h.       The location of the Jordan crossing in 1406 BC

3.       Using careful analysis, we have calculated the distances between each of the stops. We have calculated total distances as well as daily average travel rates.

4.       Miracles of red sea: there is a lot of detail in here about the canopy that protected from sun and rain and provided light to travel at night.

a.        Guidance: Exodus 13:21

b.       Shelter canopy from Sunlight and Rain: Isaiah 4:4-6; Psalm 105:39

c.        Protection from pharaoh's armies: Exodus 14:19, 24.

5.       Two verses say that God gave them supernatural help crossing the depths of the Red Sea:

a.        "Like the horse in the wilderness,  they did not stumble ; As the cattle which go down into the valley (red sea), The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest." Isaiah 63:11-13

• "Then He brought them out with silver and gold, And among His tribes  there was not one who stumbled . " Psalm 105:37

6.       Two verses say they travelled day and night with miraculous light for night travel. Standard daily travel rates in ancient times are therefore irrelevant.

a.        "The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." Exodus 13:21-22

b.       "“And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go ." (Nehemiah 9:12)

I. Exodus Route Travel Calendar by Steven Rudd: March 2020

A. Bible timing from Ramses to Mt. Sinai is 47 days:

1.               The Bible tells us that it was a 47-day journey from Goshen to Sinai .

a.                    They left Goshen on Passover (15 th day of the first month) and arrived at the Wilderness of Sin on the 15th day of the second month and arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai on the 1st day of the third month. This equals 47 days.

b.                    It took 24 days to travel 500 km to the Red Sea and they spent 8 days camped there waiting for Pharaoh's army to come. It took 22 days to travel 200 km to Sinai after the Red Sea including 8 days camping in the wilderness of Sin and 3 days battling the Amalekites at Rephidim.

2.               Num 33:3 and Exodus 12:51 tells us Israel was driven out of Egypt by Pharaoh the day after Passover night (Nisan 15)

a.                    "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord's Passover." Leviticus 23:5.

b.                    "They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel started out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians," (Numbers 33:3)

c.                     "Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said." Exodus 12:31.

d.                    "And on that same day (Nisan 15) the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts." Exodus 12:51

3.               Exodus 19:1 tells us they ended the trip when they reached the Wilderness of Sinai on the 1st day of the third month (Sivan 1) "In the third month (Sivan 1) after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai." Exodus 19:1

a.                    Since the Law of Moses was given on Pentecost, this means that they arrived on the first day of the third month, not the 15 th day of the third month.

b.                    “ On that very day (19:1b) points emphatically to the day of the new moon, the first day of the new lunar month, and not the whole first month (as NIV has it). This expression also recalls the time designations on this very day (12:17) and that very day (12:51), expressions almost identical to the one here.” (Believers Church Bible Commentary, Waldemar Janzen, Exodus 19:1, 2000 AD)

c.                     “ On the third new moon the closer definition “on that very day” shows that Hebrew ḥodesh, usually “month,” is here used in its original sense of “new moon.”” (Exodus, Jewish Publication Society, Nahum M. Sarna, Ex 19:1, 1991 AD)

d.                    If they arrived on the 15 th day of the third month, they arrived after Pentecost, missing an important messianic synchronism of where both the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ were revealed on Pentecost Sunday (Isa 2:2-5; Acts 2)

e.                    While the Tiran Red Sea crossing has time to spare in arriving at Sinai well in advance of Pentecost on day 47, the Nuweiba crossing forces them to arrive after Pentecost in a full 61-day journey from Goshen.

4.               Exodus 16:1 tells us that when they entered the Wilderness of Sin on the 15th day of the second month (Iyar 15)

a.                    Nisan 15 to Iyar 15 is exactly 31 days after leaving Goshen with a 30-day month.

b.                    "Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month (Iyar 15) after their departure from the land of Egypt." Exodus 16:1

c.                     Since the total trip was 47 days, arriving at the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 means they were only 22 days away from reaching the Mt. Sinai.

5.               Exodus 16:1: In 1446 BC Nisan and Iyar both had 30 days not 29 days .

a.                    A 30-day Hebrew month is confirmed by Josephus in Antiquities 2.316 when he say they had 30 days of food, meaning they ran out on the 31 st day when they entered the Wilderness of Sin.

b.                    “The lunar calendar measured time by lunations; a lunation is the interval of time, expressed in days, between two successive new moons. Each lunar month, beginning when the thin crescent of the new moon first becomes visible at dusk, averages just over 29½ days. The moon actually orbits the earth in about 27⅓ days; because the earth is meanwhile moving around the sun, it takes the moon 2 extra days to come to the same position between the sun and earth and produce a “new moon.”” (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, Calendars, p 400)

c.                     It is also possible to have up to 4 consecutive 30 day lunar months:

                                                               i.       Nisan, Iyar and Sivan were 30 day lunar months: “the lunar year is divided into twelve months: 1–3, 7–9 have 30 days; 4–6, 10–12 have 29” (AYBD, Calendars, vol 1, p 818)

                                                             ii.       “Now, I want to  assume  that every month thereafter is 30 days long. (That is what we are looking for – can there be 5, consecutive, 30-day months?) So looking at the data, we see everything is fine – as annotated by “OK” in the far-right column till we see that the 5th consecutive 30-day month has added up to 150 days, yet the “real” moon has added up only to 148.753 days (that is, the real months can be no more than 149 days when rounded to whole days for calendar purposes), so our calendar is 1 day ahead if we insist on a 30-day month that last lunation (the red one – 30 days). But what we see is that that last calendar month must instead be 29 days so our calendar total is 149 to match the “real” moon of 148.753 days (rounded to 149) in 5 months. This illustrates that it is possible only to have 4 consecutive 30-day months and the calendar still works. … The conclusion: That no, five, consecutive lunations can exceed 148.88 days. So if  the month you stared with  was itself a 30-day month, then the 5th lunation including that starting 30-day month, will end up no greater than 148.88 days long, thus, you’d find that only 3 months after the 30-day month in which you began, you’d be forced to follow it with a 29 day, 5th month, to keep the calendar in-sync with the real moon .” (On the possibility of 5 consecutive 30-day months, William J.  Welker, 2015 AD)

6.               The Red Sea crossing was on day 25 from Goshen: (Iyar 9)

a.                    The author noticed an important fact that the Bible begins counting days after crossing the Red Sea but not before. For the first time in the route itinerary, Moses indicates Israel travelled 3 days to Marah in the Wilderness of Shur. There are only two stops to reach the hard calendar marker of day 31 at the Wilderness of Sin.

b.                    Israel travelled three days in the Wilderness of Shur (days 26-28) and arrived at Marah. They travelled one day and arrived at Elim on day 29. They travelled another day and arrived at 2 nd Red Sea camp on day 30. Finally, on day six after crossing the Red Sea, the entire 3 million Hebrews arrived at the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 which was Iyar 15 (Ex 16:1). Scripture tells us they travelled “3 days” from the Red Sea to Marah and that Moses arrived on day 31.

c.                     This is a total of six travel days after crossing the Red Sea to reach the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 from Goshen.

d.                    Counting six travel days back from day 31 (Iyar 15) we can be certain the Red Sea crossing was on day 25 (Iyar 9).

e.                    A Red Sea crossing at the Straits of Tiran on day 25 is a perfect fit for the timing and topography. No other candidate Red Sea crossing location is a perfect fit for a day 25 Red Sea crossing.

B. Ancient literary Sources confirm a 47-day journey from Goshen to Sinai:

1.         The 47-day exodus itinerary alone refutes the Nuweiba exodus route of Glen Fritz because even he admits his 555-mile (888 km) route cannot be travelled in less than 53 days. Fritz calculates Israel arrived at Mt. Sinai on day 64-65 and he added 12 “arbitrary” filler days to delay the arrival from day 53 to day 65.

2.         The 47-day journey predated Christianity by 200 years and is not a “late Rabbinic tradition” as Fritz and other commentators commonly suggest:

a.          “The biblical timing of Pentecost 50 days after Passover is not being disputed here. What is disputable is the late rabbinic tradition that Pentecost also commemorated "the giving of the law” . … It must be recalled that the 2nd century AD development of Rabbinic Judaism occurred after the AD 70 destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, which caused the rabbis to face the reality of a Judaism without sacrificial worship. This situation catalyzed an emphasis on the oral traditions of the Torah, which were recorded in the Mishnah ca. AD 200 , and subsequently expanded in the Gemara." (Exodus Mysteries, Glen Fritz, p450, 2019 AD)

b.         For Fritz to call oral traditions that were recorded in the Mishna in AD 200 a “late tradition” is puzzling since the Mishna represents one of the earliest written Jewish traditions extant today. Although the Babylonian Talmud could be considered a later tradition must of its content merely echoes the Mishna (AD 200) and the Tosefta (AD 250) and other traditions that predate Christianity by hundreds of years.

c.          It is well documented that the oral traditions in the Mishna predate Christianity by hundreds of years.

d.         The correct scholarly approach would be to say the earliest known written Jewish sources all unanimously confirm the 47-day journey where the Law was given on Pentecost and none of them provide any evidence for a 61-day journey.

e.         The correct scholarly approach would be to say that the 61-day exodus itinerary is without any confirmation from the earliest literary sources or traditions.

f.           The correct scholarly approach would be to say that the 61-day exodus itinerary is in fact a very late tradition.

3.         170 BC: book of Jubilees : Ex 24:12-18, Moses’ 6 th ascension

a.          “In the first year of the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, in the third month on the sixteenth day of that month (Sivan 16) , the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Come up to me on the mountain, and I shall give you two stone tablets of the Law and the commandment, which I have written, so that you may teach them. ( Ex 24:12-18 )” (Book of Jubilees 1:1, 170 BC)

b.         The book of Jubilees confirms arrival before Pentecost: Day 60 was Moses 6 th Ascension: Ex 24:12-18

c.          The Book of Jubilees is referring to the 6 th ascension of Moses when he physically got the stone tablets. Moses orally heard the Ten Commandments on his third ascension but did not get the two tablets of stone until his 6 th ascension.

d.         Some misread the Book of Jubilees to say that Israel arrived on day 60 (14 th day of 3 rd month, Sivan 14) and then three days later, on day 62 (16 th day of 3 rd month, Sivan 16) God ascended Mt. Sinai with trumpet blasts, fire and thunder and gave the Law to Moses.

e.         The Jubilees specifies that the two tablets of stone were given on Moses’ 6 th Ascension up Mt. Sinai not his 1 st ascension: Ex 24:12-18

                                                               i.       Sivan 1: Israel arrives at Sinai. (Ex 19:1)

                                                             ii.       Sivan 2: On Moses’ 1 st ascension he returned to the camp with an oath for people: Ex 19:3-8.

                                                           iii.       Sivan 4: On Moses’ 2 nd ascension God said to get ready for the third day: Ex 19:8-14.

                                                           iv.       Sivan 7: On Pentecost Moses’ made his 3 rd  ascension and the mountain exploded with trumpet blasts, fire and thunder and gave orally the Law to Moses: Ex 19:18-25, 20:1-26 .

                                                             v.       Sivan 14: It was Moses’ 6 th (sixth) ascension that God gave the two tablets of stone of the Ten Commandments during Moses’ 40 days at the summit: Law to Moses: Ex 24:12-18

f.         The book of Jubilees proves a 47-day journey not 60 days because it says that Moses got the tablets of stone on Sivan 16 which would be day 63. Although we time the events of Ex 24:12-18 to Sunday Sivan 14, it doesn’t make any difference. We could easily shift the 6 th ascension to Sivan 16 (day 62) and it would make no difference because in either case, it would be impossible for Israel to arrive on day 60, have Moses ascend the mountain 5 times in two days before Moses Got the two tables of stone on the 6 th ascension as per  Ex 24:12-18.

4.         AD 70: Josephus : Three months: 90 days or three inclusive months

a.          “And going gradually on, he came to Mount Sinai, in three months’ time after they were removed out of Egypt” (Josephus Antiquities 3.62)

b.         Jewish inclusive counting is well documented in the three days (Friday to Sunday) in both the triumphal entry and the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (Luke 13:32). Several other examples of three day periods being less than 72 hours are Queen Esther (Esther 4:16 + 5:1), faithless Jews: (Matthew 27:63-64), starving servant: (1 Samuel 30:12-13). Most notably is the fact that 72 literal hours (three days and three nights) was called four days by Cornelius (Acts 10:3+9+23+24+30).

c.          In non-inclusive counting, three months means 90 days, which contradicts both those who say the journey took 60 days. Using this reasoning, if Josephus wanted to say 60 days, he would have said two months. So either Josephus was wrong or he was using inclusive counting.

d.         Josephus used standard inclusive counting because the exodus spanned parts of three months but literally 47 days, the same way Jesus was in the tomb parts of three days but literally 38 hours.

e.         The three months of Josephus are counted as 47 days: Nisan 15-30 (15 days); Iyar 1-30 (30 days); Sivan 1 (1 days).

f.           Josephus therefore actually confirms the earliest written Jewish traditions.

g.          Anybody who objects that Josephus confirms the 47-day exodus itinerary are forced to say Josephus actually recorded a 90-day journey, which contradicts their own 60-day exodus itinerary.

h.         The only two options in interpreting Josephus’ “three months” are to reject the 90 days as an error he made or confirmation of the 47-day itinerary.

i.            Josephus’ statement therefore agrees with all the other earliest literary sources that all confirm a 47-day exodus journey.

5.         AD 160: Seder Olam Rabbah : Ten commandments given day 47 on Pentecost: Sivan 6

a.          “For the next five days   Moses ascended the mountain, descended, told the people the words of the Omnipresent, and returned their answer to the Omnipresent. In the Third month, on the Sixth of the month , the Ten Commandments were given to them on a Sabbath day.” ( Seder Olam Rabbah 5:31 , Rabbi Yose ben Halafta, 160 AD)

b.         In a stunning confirmation of our exodus calendar, Sivan 6 falls on a Sabbath in both our chronology and Sedar Olam Rabbah’s chronology confirming a 47-day journey.

c.          Seder Olam dates Pentecost to Sabbath Sivan 6 (day 52) and we date Pentecost to Sunday Sivan 7 (day 53). This proves they arrived in Sivan 1 not Sivan 15.

d.         Rabbi Yose ben Halafta follows the first century tradition that Pentecost fell on different days as opposed the the Sadducees Moses and the New Testament that teaches Pentecost always fell on a Sunday. Seder Olam therefore is in error by saying Pentecost occurred on a Sabbath rather than a Sunday. This is just another in series of revisions where Jews in AD 160 at Zippori changed Masoretic Text and key chronological events in the Old Testament to disconnect Jesus Christ as the Messiah. In truth, Pentecost always fell on a Sunday and although they could not break the well-known synchronism between the Law of Moses and Christian Pentecost in Acts 2, they wanted to disconnect the day of the week for both event falling on the day Jesus rose from the dead.

6.         AD 400: Augustine : Calculates a 47-day journey and the synchronism of both laws given on Pentecost:

a.          In a stunning confirmation of our exodus Chronology, Augustine specifically states that the journey between Goshen and Sinai was 47 days.

b.         Augustine emphasized the direct messianic connection between both the Law of Moses and the Law Christ were given on Pentecost. This proves the journey was 47 days.

c.          “The Pentecost too we observe, that is, the fiftieth day from the passion and resurrection of the Lord, for on that day he sent to us the Holy Paraclete whom he had promised. This was prefigured in the Jewish Passover, for on the fiftieth day after the slaying of the lamb, Moses on the mount received the law written with the finger of God .” (Augustine, Against Faustus the Manichaean 32.12, 400 AD)

d.         “But, the fifty-day period is also praised in Scripture, not only in the Gospel, because the Holy Spirit came on the fiftieth day, but even in the Old Testament. Therein, fifty days are numbered from the celebration of the pasch by the killing of a lamb, to the day on which the law was given on Mount Sinai to the servant of God, Moses .’ This law was ‘written with the finger of God,’ and this finger of God the New Testament explicitly identifies with the Holy Spirit. For, when one Evangelist has: ‘By the finger of God, I cast out devils,’ another says this same thing thus: ‘By the spirit of God, I cast out devils.’ Who would not have this joy in the divine mysteries, when the redemptive doctrine shines with so clear a light, rather than all the powers of this world though they be infused with unwonted peace and happiness? Do not the Seraphim cry to each other, singing the praises of the Most High: ‘Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts’? Thus the two Testaments agree faithfully in proclaiming the sacred truth. A lamb is slain, the pasch is celebrated, and after fifty days the law, written with the finger of God , is given in fear: Christ is slain, who was led ‘as a sheep to the slaughter,’ as the Prophet Isaias testifies, the true pasch is celebrated, and after fifty days the Holy Spirit, who is the finger of God, is given in love.” (Augustine to Januarius , Book 2, Letter 55, 400 AD)

e.         “ The law was given on the day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost . But I said I was going to prove that the Jews received the law on the fiftieth day from the Passover, or Pasch, which we both celebrate. You have it that they were commanded to kill the lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month, and to celebrate the Passover. Of that month there are seventeen days left, if you include the fourteenth day itself, on which the Passover begins. We come now to the desert, where the law was given, and this is what scripture says: But in the third month from when the people was brought out of Egypt (Ex 19:1) the Lord spoke to Moses that those who were going to receive the law should purify themselves in readiness for the third day, on which the law was to be given. So at the beginning of the third month a purification is commanded in readiness for the third day. And Passover begins ... —Pay close attention, please, or the numbers may set your heads spinning, and bring a fog down upon your understanding. I am opening the thing up as best I can, with the Lord's approval. If you help me with your attention, you will soon grasp what is being said; but if that's lacking, whatever I say will remain obscure, even if it is said ever so plainly ... — So the Passover is announced for the fourteenth day of the month; and a purification is ordered, so that the law may be given on the mountain, written by the finger of God; and the finger of God is the Holy Spirit. Remember, we proved this from the gospel. So a purification is proclaimed, in readiness for the third day of the third month. So from the first month deduct thirteen, and seventeen are left, as you begin from the fourteenth. Add the whole second month; it makes forty-seven days; from that day of purification to the third day, it makes fifty days . Nothing could be plainer, nothing more obvious, than that the Jews received the law on the day of Pentecost.” (Augustine Sermon 272B, On the Day of Pentecost, 417 AD)

7.         AD 500: Babylonian Talmud : Moses received the Torah on Pentecost proves a 47-day journey :

a.          “Said R. Eleazar, “All concur with respect to Pentecost that we do require ‘for you’ as well. How come? It is the day on which the Torah was given.” (Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim 68A , 500 AD)

8.         AD 810: George Syncellus: Arrived on new moon of third month = Sivan 1, Day 47

a.          “And on the third new moon of the Exodus of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, on this very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai.” (Chronography of George Synkellos 151, William Adler, Paul Tuffin, p189, 2002 AD)

9.         AD 1735: Midrash, Tanḥuma : Moses received the Torah on Pentecost proves a 47-day journey:

a.          “And in the same manner, the holiday of Pentecost (Shavuot) for the giving of the Torah” ( Midrash, Tanḥuma C , Derech Hashem, Part Four, On Divine Service and the Calendar, Manuscript C, 1735 AD)

C. Calendar of events from Goshen to Sinai: Days 1-47

D. Calendar of events at Sinai from arrival to departure: Days 47 – 382

Detailed outline on the Eight Ascensions of Moses up Mt. Sinai: click here

E. The Eight Ascensions of Moses up Mt. Sinai:

• 1 st Ascension: Tuesday Sivan 2, Day 48 from Goshen: Ex 1 9:3-8
• Moses Ascends Mt. Sinai and returns with oath for people to obey the Law soon to be revealed.
• Moses returns to the camp and asks the people if they will keep the law soon to be revealed. The people reply yes.
• 2 nd Ascension: Friday Sivan 4, Day 50: Ex 19:7-14
• Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to give God the people's "yes" answer. God says to be ready on the third day (Sunday Sivan 7, day 53 from Goshen) when he will descend on the Mountain in fire: Ex 19:7-14. The people are told to walk to the base of the mountain from their camp and be ready for God's coming. God tells Moses to set up boundaries around the mountain so the people cannot break through, climb the mountain and die.
• The third day = Friday to Sunday: There is a direct triple correspondence between the Sinai, the Triumphal entry and the crucifixion since all were periods of three days between Friday and Sunday: Luke 13:32.
• As the Israelites waited as instructed the third day, for God to descend on Mt. Sinai, they suddenly looked due north 100 km and saw God in the wilderness of Paran. God " dawns from Seir " like a sunrise in its glory, until He is hovering directly over Mt. Sinai. The Israelites watched in wonder and were amazed at the beauty and splendor of God as He came closer and closer to them where they stood. One of the most interesting facts about the Wilderness of Paran, is its connection with God's appearing at Mt. Sinai. When Israel was encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Mt. Al-Lawz), God thundered, in a volcanic level display that terrified the Israelites. But three verses explicitly tell us that God dawned from the north like a sunrise, or like Elijah's small cloud the size of a man's fist in the distance that became a storm (1 Kings 18:44). God dawned from Mt. Seir until he came to Mt. Sinai and made the mountain turn to fire before Israel. They were terrified. The four key verses that describe "dawning from the north" are: Deut 33:2; Isa 63:1-2; Judg 5:4; Hab 3:3-7. 40 years later, when Israel was at Mt. Seir, God gave the "go ahead" to finally start their way to the promised land by the command, "Now turn North". In fact Mount Seir is absolute due south of Jerusalem and absolute due north of Mt. Sinai in modern Saudi Arabia. There are several passages that repeat this pattern of God coming "from the North". Most notably is Ezekiel's vision where God came from a distant storm in the North finally to overshadow him. (Ezekiel 1:4) Job describes God as coming from the North in golden splendor. (Job 37:22-23) Lucifer, the king of Babylon describes God's throne as being in the far north. (Isaiah 14:13-14) Psalm 48:1-2 describes Jerusalem as being located in the "far north". Further detailed study .
• 3 rd Ascension: Pentecost Sunday, Sivan 7, Day 53: Ex 20:18-25; 20:1-26

a.        God descends on Mt. Sinai in fire and He calls Moses to climb the mountain. Ex 19:20

b.       Moses hears the Ten Commandments and other laws including building altars.

c.        God tells Moses to go back down and warn the people again to stay away from the mountain so they will not die, then come up again ( 4th ) with Aaron. Ex 19:21

• 4 th Ascension: Ex 19:24, Sivan 9, Day 55

a.        Moses ascends with Aaron only where Ten Commandments and other laws are repeated for Aaron who hears the Ten Commandments and various other laws found in Exodus chapters 20-23

b.       Moses and Aaron. God tells Moses to descend and return with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders of Israel. Moses goes back down and tells the people what God has said. Deut 24:1-3

c.        Moses descends and writes down the words in the Book of the Law, which will eventually be placed on the side of the ark. Ex 24:1-4

d.       Moses builds an alter with 12 pillars at the foot of the mountain for the twelve tribes. He then sprinkles the alter with blood. Ex 24:4-6

e.       Moses read the book of the law to the people and after they agreed, he sprinkled the people with blood of the covenant. Ex 24:7-8

• 5 th Ascension: Ex 24:1; 9-11 Sivan 11, day 57
• Moses now returns to the mountain with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and 70 elders of Israel. After seeing God and eating the group descend to the foot of the mountain. Ex 24:9-11
• 6th Ascension: Sunday Sivan 14, day 60-99: Ex 24:12-18
• Moses begins 40 days on the Mountain and receives two tables of stone:
• Day 60-99 inclusive counting equals 40 days ending on day 99 after leaving Egypt
• God calls Moses up with Joshua to the mountain to receive the two tablets of stone with the ten commandments written by the finger of God. Ex 24:12
• Moses spends 40 days on the mountain ( 6th ) where God reveals the plan for the tabernacle. Exodus chapters 25-31
• After 40 days, Aaron makes the golden calf as Moses was on the mountain for 40 days. In one of the most fascinating interaction between a man and God in the Bible , God tells Moses He will kill all the Hebrews who sinned and make Moses into a great nation. Moses pleads for the people. Then God changes his mind and says he won't kill them. Moses physically throws 10 commandments at the people who had made the golden calf, rebukes Aaron. Moses grinds up the golden calf and makes them drink the gold dust. Then Moses commanded the Levites to kill about 3000 of the idol worshippers. Ex 32:7-29
• 7th Ascension: Day 100 from leaving Goshen: Ex 32:30-33:23
• The next day, Moses climbed Mt. Sinai ( 7th ). God tells Moses is to take them into the promised land with God's angel as protection, but God himself will not go with them. Moses goes down the mountain. God strikes down a number of the Hebrews who sinned. Ex 32:30-35
• When the people hear that God's angel will lead them but God himself will not go with them, the people get sad and they remove all their jewelry. Ex 33:2-6
• Moses continues to plead with God for the people and says, "I pray You, show me Your glory!" God says He will show Moses his Glory on the Mountain. Ex 33:18-23
• 8th Ascension: Days 102 - 141 days from Goshen (40 days inclusive): Ex 34:1-9; 2 Cor 3.
• God tells Moses to cut out two replacement tablets and God calls Moses back up to Mt. Sinai ( 8th ), where God passes by while Moses was in the cleft of the rock.
• Again Moses asks God to join them on the journey to the promised land. God changes his mind finally and tells Moses he will lead them to the promised land.
• Moses spends forty more days on the mountain, then returns.
• God said he would perform new miracles and Moses face is shining in view of the people so he puts a veil over his face. Ex 34:1-9; 2 Cor 3.

F. Calendar of events between Sinai and Kadesh Barnea: about 11 months

1.        Israel departed Sinai on Day 382 after leaving Goshen

a.        "Now in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony;" Numbers 10:11

b.       Israel departs from Sinai for promised land after spending 11 months, 5 days at Sinai.

c.        Since they left on the 14th day of the first month, this means they had been traveling one year, one month and one week, since leaving Egypt.

d.       Using the syntax of “year:month:week” for the amount of time they spent at Sinai we get: 1:1:1 = 1 month:1 week:1 day.

2.        They navigated about 20 stops over a period of between 10.5 and 11 months between Sinai and Kadesh Barnea

a.        "Then the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month; and the people stayed at Kadesh." Numbers 20:1

b.       They arrived at Kadesh Barnea in the first of the month of the third year or exactly 24 months after leaving Egypt.

c.        They celebrated their second Passover at Sinai, then leave almost immediately afterwards for Kadesh. They arrived at Kadesh and immediately celebrated their third Passover.

3.        They spend 38 continuous years at Kadesh Barnea (they do not leave and come back), then depart for the Jordan in the 40th year.

a.          Many commentators mistakenly believe Num 20:1 was the 40th year , but they are wrong.

b.         The verse tells us they arrived at Kadesh in the first month, but does not tell us the year!

c.          It does not say, "the first month in the 40th year".

d.         Since Israel left Sinai in the second month of the second year after leaving Egypt (14 months), this means they arrived at Kadesh in the first month of the third year after leaving Egypt or 24 months.

e.         More details: Israel spent 38 continuous years at Kadesh Barnea

G. Calendar of events between Kadesh Barnea and the Jordan River: about 9 months

1.       Israel Crossed the Jordan exactly 40 years after leaving Goshen to the day:

a.        Aaron died on the 1st day of the 5th month of the 40th year of the wilderness wandering (summer 1407 BC).

b.       Shortly after mourning Aaron for 30 days, the people left Mount Hor, defeated the Transjordan nations, and then mourned for Moses 30 days.

2.       They crossed the Jordan on the 10th day of the 1st month of the 41st year (spring, 1406 BC), four days before the 41st Passover, which was exactly 40 years to the day they left Goshen.

3.       They started counting sabbatical years and Jubilee after crossing the Jordan. (Num 33:38; 20:28; Deut 34:8; Josh 4:19; 5:10)

III. Understanding Jewish dating and times:

A. Jewish days started at sundown not midnight:

• The entire world today uses the Roman method of reckoning days from Midnight to Midnight.
• Jewish days began at sundown. This means that if it is 5 pm on a Friday night and you are just getting off work, two hours later (Roman time 7 PM) would actually be Saturday.
• This is helpful to know because in the Wilderness of Sin they arrived on a Saturday, and after sunset, that evening while they were in the camp, God revealed the Sabbath for the first time using manna as an instructor. So from Roman time, God revealed the Sabbath on Saturday evening 8 PM, but to the Jews, it was a the 1st day of the week (Sunday).
• We are very glad because the Jewish method of time keeping would be awkward to implement today.

B. Jewish inclusive reckoning method of counting days:

• Biblical Jews counted days differently from how we count today. Jews used the inclusive counting system .
• Jesus was crucified on a Friday and rose from the dead on the first day (Sunday) Three days and three nights: Friday crucifixion - Sunday resurrection. For us this would only be two days, but for Jews it was three days.
• On the Friday before "Palm Sunday", exactly one week before Jesus died, Jesus said: Luke 13:32 "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today [Fri] and tomorrow [Sat] , and the third day [Sun] I reach My goal."
• Even during the Exodus there is an excellent example of Jewish inclusive time keeping. The Bible says: "The Lord also said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow , and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day , for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:10-11
• Notice that even Jesus counted three days as a duration from Friday to Sunday. He started counting today as day one.
• We don't count this way. Today is day 0. For the Jews today is day 1.
• We need to keep this in mind when calculating days the way the Jews did.
• For example, when it says they went three days into the wilderness of Shur after crossing the Red Sea, this would be a Monday to Wednesday duration for the Jews.
• They counted a day even if there was only one hour left in that day.
• For a full discussion about Jewish time keeping see this .

IV. Calculating Exodus dates and times:

A. Calculating the days of the week at the Wilderness of Sin: Day 31 from Goshen

• The primary way we have used to calculate the days of the week for the Exodus journey is based solely on their visit to the Wilderness of Sin. It is there God first revealed the Sabbath.
• We believe with some level of confidence, that we have enough information to actually calculate the days of the week for the journey between the Red Sea and Mt. Sinai.
• In Ex 16:1 God revealed the Sabbath for the very first time in world history. Contrary to the unbiblical ravings of Seventh-day Adventists, Adam and Abraham never kept the weekly seventh day Sabbath (Saturday). In fact the word Sabbath is never even used once in the book of Genesis. The Sabbath was a Jewish holy day that was abolished by God when he nailed the first covenant to the cross. Col 2:14-17 clearly teaches that the Law of Moses, including the 10 commandments , were nailed to the cross. The New Testament passage specifically states that Christians are free to eat "unclean foods" (pork) and that all the system of Jewish holy days, yearly (Passover), monthly (new moon) and weekly (7th day Sabbath) are all nailed to the cross . Christians do not keep the Jewish Sabbath, but worship on the first day of the week: Sunday. Christians assembled every 1st day (Sunday) for the Lord's Supper: Acts 20:7 and are commanded to give every Sunday: 1 Cor 16:2.
• In Ex 16, It was the 7 th day of the week when Moses revealed the sabbath cycle. We know this because the day after was the first day of work, namely Sunday or the 1 st day of the week. In other words, when God said to Moses on the 7 th day these words: "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." Exodus 16:4-5. These words would have been spoken on the Sabbath they arrived and grumbled about having no food. The very next day had to be a Sunday, or the 1st day of the week.
• What is clear, is that God used Manna to teach them, for the first time, about the weekly Sabbath day. In order to do this, it would mean that they are camped in the Wilderness of Sin for the full week (Sunday - Saturday).
• Since manna fell in the early morning and melted by mid-day, this also proves that God instructed Moses the words of Exodus 16:4-5 on the day before the first morning Manna fell: Saturday.
• From this, we can quite safely determine that they arrived in the Wilderness of Sin on a Saturday and grumbled about being hungry. God gave them Manna for 6 days, then on the Sabbath they rested for the first time in world history. Then they departed early Monday morning to continue the journey in stages, since the terrain ahead was difficult and narrow.
• The Holy Spirit has told us in Exodus 16:1, that they arrived in the Wilderness of Sin on day 31 after leaving Goshen which was the 15 th day of the second month and left the wilderness of Sin on day 39. This leaves 8 days to travel from the Wilderness of Sin till they arrived on day 47 at Mt. Sinai. We know this because we are told they arrived in Sinai on the 1st day of the third month or day 47 after leaving Goshen. They might have even traveled at night. The Bible says that they travel by night by the pillar of fire.
• Now that we have determined the day they arrived and left the Wilderness of Sin, we can use this as a benchmark to determine the days of the week before and afterwards.

B. Calculating the day of the week they crossed the Red Sea: Sunday day 25

• In a most natural calculation backwards from the wilderness of Sin, we discover something incredible, that they crossed the Red Sea on Sunday, Iyar 9. This is a shadow of the fulfillment of the day of First Fruits (Lev 23:10-12) which always fell on a Sunday. Israel was "saved" by coming through the Red Sea. This would fit the New Testament antitype of water baptism very well. Paul tells us in 1 Cor 10:1-4 that passing through the Red Sea with the wall of water on either side and the cloud over head was an antitype of our full immersion into Christ for the remission of our sins. Israel was "baptized into Moses" and Christians are Baptized into Christ. The Hebrews were saved from the slavery of Egyptian bondage, Christians are saved from the slavery to sin. Any Hebrew who refused to cross the Red Sea and be Baptized into Moses would be killed the Egyptian army. Likewise anybody today who is not water baptized will be lost in hell because their sins are not forgiven. See these verses: Mk 16:16; Acts 2:28; 22:16; Rom 6:2-4; 1 Pet 3:21 and take this on line interactive study on water baptism .
• Rom 6:3-4 tells us that our baptism is a symbol of the death burial and resurrection of Christ and that we are raised from the dead to new life when we rise from the waters of Baptism. Since Christ was raised from the dead on a Sunday and since water baptism is a symbol of this resurrection and since the crossing of the Red Sea was an antitype of water baptism, it is most natural to expect that God would orchestrate, through his power and providence, that Israel would be baptized into Moses on a Sunday.
• Israel crossed the Red Sea on a Sunday, Iyar 9, on day 25 after leaving Goshen.

C. Calculating the day of the week of Passover: Wednesday

• Since the Bible tells us the fact that the entire trip was 47 days from Goshen to Sinai, we can now calculate the day of the week that Passover fell upon when they left Goshen.
• This is done by knowing they arrived on a Saturday at the Wilderness of Sin, which the Bible tells us is day 31 after leaving Goshen (Ex 16:1)
• Passover (Nisan 14) was 32 days before they arrived at the Wilderness of Sin.
• Counting back the days of the week makes Nisan 14 a Wednesday.
• They killed the lamb on Wednesday during the day, ate it after sunset on Nisan 15 (Wed night) and departed the following day (Thursday) during daylight hours.

D. Calculating the day of the week of Pentecost: Sunday day 53

• Pentecost means "the 50th day" after Passover. But the counting did not always start immediately after Passover as we will see.
• Recent Jewish tradition states that the Law was given on Pentecost, which is 50 days after the first Sabbath following Passover. Although we cannot trace this Jewish tradition very far back in history, it is very likely correct. On the other hand even the Jews of Jesus' time were notorious at adding to or changing God's Law.
• Pentecost always fell on a Sunday . Pentecost was calculated by counting 50 days, where day #1 is the first Sabbath after Passover. Since Passover could fall on any day of the week, sometimes there was up to a 6 day wait until the first Sabbath came by and you started counting the 50 days. When that Sabbath came, it was day one, then you would count seven additional Sabbath days for a total of 49 days. They next day after the seventh Sabbath was Pentecost.
• This means that if Passover fell on a Sunday, for example, they would not start counting the fifty days until the next Sabbath 6 days later.
• The actual number of days between Passover and Pentecost could vary from exactly 50 days if Passover fell on a Friday to as many as 56 days if Passover fell on a Sunday.
• On day 47 from Goshen, they arrived in the Wilderness of Sinai on a Monday.
• Pentecost fell on the Sunday after the next Sabbath day. This was day 53 after leaving Goshen.
• On Pentecost, Moses ascended ascends Mt. Sinai and returns with law (Ex 19:3-6). Jewish tradition fits very nicely into this time scale.

E. God "Dawned from Seir on Mt. Sinai" on Pentecost Sunday 1446 BC

1.        Day 47 (Sivan 1) On Monday Israel arrives at Sinai and Moses gave them water out of the Rock at Mt. Sinai that was promised several days earlier at Rephidim (Meribah) .

1.       Day 48: (Sivan 2) 1 st ascension of Moses: Ex 19:3-8. Moses ascends Mt. Sinai and returns with oath for people to obey the Law soon to be revealed (Ex 19:3-6)

2.        On Friday Sivan 4, (day 50) Moses ascends Mt. Sinai 2 nd time. God says be ready on the third day which was Pentecost Sunday (Ex 19:8-14). Moses told them that God would descend on Mt. Sinai three days later and to prepare themselves during these three days. Friday was the only day they had to wash their clothes because the next day was the Sabbath. This may be where the first century tradition that “preparation day” was their word for “Friday” because on Friday they prepared for God on Pentecost.

a.          The Bible says: "The Lord also said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow , and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day , for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." Exodus 19:10-11

b.         This means the duration would be a Friday - Sunday. This method of counting is typical of the inclusive counting system of the Jews. This further illustrates how Jesus was in the tomb three days, yet it was a duration of Friday 3 PM to Sunday 6 AM.

c.          This matches the three day sequence of the Triumphal entry: "And He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today [Friday] and tomorrow [Saturday], and the third day [Sunday] I reach My goal.’" (Luke 13:32)

d.         This matches the three day sequence of Friday crucifixion being raised the third day on Sunday.

3.        Counting the day after the 7 th sabbath makes Pentecost day 53 after leaving Goshen on Thursday Nisan 15.

4.        God dawned from Seir and descend upon Mt. Sinai on Pentecost Sunday (day 53, Sivan 7) as described in Hebrews 12.

IV. Calculating distances between stops: Red Sea to Sinai

V. Calculating rates of travel from Goshen to Sinai: 700 km in 47 days

A. Examples of historic rates of travel:

1.        Israel miraculously travelled day AND NIGHT and therefore walked far greater daily distances than under normal human conditions. This means that traditional rates of travel are no applicable to the Exodus itinerary: Exodus 13:21; Num 9:21; 14:14; Deut 1:33; Neh 9:12; Ps 78:14

a.        "The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light,  that they might travel by day and by night ." (Exodus 13:21)

b.       "If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or  in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out ." (Numbers 9:21)

c.        “You  go before them  in a pillar of cloud by day and  in a pillar of fire by night ” Num 14:14.

d.       "who goes before you on your way,  to seek out a place for you to encamp, in fire by night and cloud by day, to show you the way in which you should go ." (Deuteronomy 1:33)

e.       “To light for them the way  in which they were to go ” Neh 9:12.

f.         “He  led them  with the cloud by day and  all the night with a light of fire ” Ps 78:14.

2.        Scripture gives us a daily travel rate of 22 km per day:

a.        "It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir to Kadesh-barnea." (Deut 1:2)

b.       A direct route from Mt. Maqla/Lawz to Kadesh Barnea at Petra via Ezion Geber is 250 km which calculates a daily travel rate of 22 km per day. This is likely the time caravans would take to make the journey on camels. Camels and humans walk at the same rate of 5 km per hour. This allows for only 5 hours of travel a day. The Hebrews likely travelled most of the day and even during the night.

3.        800 km in 21 days from Riblah to Babylon = 53 km per day

a.        "For twenty-one years Nabopolassar had been king of Babylon, when on 8 Abu [15 August 605 BC] he went to his destiny; in the month of Ululu Nebuchadnezzar returned to Babylon and on 1 Ululu [7 September 605 BC] he sat on the royal throne in Babylon." (Nebuchadnezzar Babylonian Chronicles cuneiform tablet lines 9-11)

b.       From the time news of Nabopolassar’s death in Babylon reached Nebuchadnezzar in Judea and then for Nebuchadnezzar to travel to Babylon to claim the throne was only 3 weeks (21 days).

c.        Nebuchadnezzar set up his military headquarters at Riblah: "Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah ." (2 Kings 25:20)

d.       Within a three-week window, news of Nabopolassar’s death had to travel from Babylon to Riblah AND Nebuchadnezzar then had to travel from Riblah to Babylon. The use of passenger pigeons would be impossible to get a message from Babylon to Riblah, given it was a temporary outpost and Pigeons needed to be raised at Riblah and transported to Babylon to be useful as messengers back to Riblah.

e.       If we assume that Nebuchadnezzar took a direct easterly route through Palmyra/Tadmor (2 Chron 8:4) to the Euphrates, then south to Babylon, this journey was 800 km one way. This is the most likely route.

f.         A message that Nabopolassar had died could easily arrive from Babylon in about 7 days on horseback at a rate of 110 km per day if the horse was in top shape.

4.        In AD 1814, Sam Dale (1772-1841), traveled on horseback 670 miles (1072 km) in eight days from Georgia to New Orleans in winter to deliver instructions from Washington D.C. to General Jackson during the War of 1812. This computes to a daily travel rate of 134 km per day on horseback.

5.        In AD 1893, John Berry won the 1,000-mile (1600 km) race from Chaldron, Nebraska to the Chicago World’s Fair in a time of 13 days and 16 hours. Berry and his horse “Poison” covered the final 130 miles in 24 hours. Veterinarians examined Poison after the race and pronounced that the horse was in good condition. This computes to a horseback travel rate on of 114 km per day for 14 days to make the 1600 km trip.

7.        These seemingly impossible travel rates very much echo the fact that during the Exodus, news Israel was “trapped in the wilderness at Etham” 430 km to Egypt and then Pharaoh had to return 430 km to the Straits of Tiran where Israel was camped at the Red Sea. Passenger Pigeons flew back to Egypt in 5 hours that were sent from the Migdol overlooking the Hebrew camp at the Red Sea. This gave Pharaoh 7 days to easily travel the 430 km. A horseback rider could travel 430 km from the Straits of Tiran back to Egypt in only 4 days.

B. Daily travel rates from Goshen to Sinai: 700 km in 47 days

1.       You must also keep in mind the supernatural help that God gave the Hebrews during the Exodus.

a.        Nehemiah 9:12 and Exodus 13:21 says they traveled day and night by the light of the pillar of fire.

b.       Isaiah 63:11-13 and Psalm 105:37 say God miraculously prevented any of the 3.5 million from tripping during the Red Sea crossing. Young, old or crippled did not stumble once.

2.       There are only a 3-stops mentioned in the Bible between Goshen and the Red Sea: Succoth, Etham and the final the Red Sea camp before crossing. This has led many to wrongly assume it took only three day from Goshen to the Red Sea.

3.       Some people falsely assume the trip took only seven days. This assumption is based upon an inference about the 7 days of unleavened bread which was a memorial of when Israel left Egypt so quickly, that they did not have time for their bread to rise.

a.        But nowhere does the Bible say they ate unleavened bread for 7 days, only that there would be a seven-day period to remember that first day they left with unleavened bread. Day two, they ate leavened bread again.

b.       The Bible does not say, "Because you ate unleavened bread for 7 days after leaving Egypt, you will east unleavened bread for 7 days each year as a memorial."

c.        Instead the Bible says, (paraphrased) "You will not eat leaven for 7 days in remembrance of that one day you ate unleavened bread, when you first left Egypt.

4.       The Bible does tell us that the entire 700 km trip from Egypt to Mt. Sinai took 47 days.

a.        It was day 25 when they crossed the Red Sea and day 47 when they reached Sinai.

b.       It took 17 days to travel 500 km to the Red Sea and they spent 8 days camped there waiting for Pharaoh's army to come. We included the 16 km Red Sea crossing in the 500 km.

c.        It took 22 days to travel 200 km to Sinai after the Red Sea including 7 days camping in the wilderness of Sin and 2 days battling the Amalekites at Rephidim 3 days for the visit of Jethro at Rephidim including a second Sabbath day before reaching Sinai.

5.       Distance traveled from Egypt to Jebel Al-Lawz based upon actual route is 700 Km. It is 400 km line of sight as the bird flies.

a.        From Goshen to the crossing point of the Red Sea is 500 KM. Israel passed the Red Sea camp under the Migdol at 436 km from Goshen, then travelled 24 km to Etham at 460 km, then 24 km back to the Red Sea camp at 484 km and crossed the Red Sea (16 km) for a total of 500 km.

b.       These distances include the Etham and back the way they came, to the camp at the Red Sea before they crossed.

c.        Etham was 24 km past the point where they crossed, so the round trip was 48 km extra.

d.       The distance Pharaoh's army traveled from Goshen to where the pillar of cloud stopped them is 400 km. The angel stopped the Egyptian army on the coast of the Gulf of Suez 36 km short of reaching the Hebrew Red Sea camp which was 436 km from Egypt.

e.       It was 16 km (10miles) across the Straits of Tiran. The straight-line diagonal track ran north of the Enterprise Passage, not through it, to the shores of Arabia in the Wilderness of Shur.

f.         After they crossed into the wilderness of Shur, the distance to the camp in the wilderness of Sinai was 200 km.

6.       Average rates of travel must be based upon the total distance and the actual days they were moving. The total distance is 700 km and the total number of actual travel days is 29.

7.       Between Goshen and Sinai there were 18 rest days:

a.        7 rest days at the Red Sea before crossing waiting for pharaoh to arrive.

b.       7 rest days in wilderness of Sin.

c.        3 stationary days battling the Amalekites in Rephidim.

d.       1 rest day for the second sabbath.

8.       700 km between Goshen and Sinai their daily rate of travel was 24 km (14 miles) per day.

a.        Total distance Goshen to Sinai is 700 km.

b.       47 total days between Goshen and Sinai.

c.        18 rest days between Goshen to Sinai.

d.       29 travel days between Goshen and Sinai.

e.       700 km / 29 travel days = 24 km per day (14 miles per day).

9.       500 km between Goshen and the Red Sea crossing their daily rate of travel was 29 km (17 miles) per day.

a.        Total distance is 500 km in 24 total days but only 17 travel days = 29 km (17 miles) per travel day.

b.       There were 7 rest days while camped as bait at the Red Sea waiting for Pharaoh to arrive.

c.       Israel travelled 17 days and arrived at the Red Sea on day 17, which includes a night camp (day 9) at Succoth to collect the Hebrew slaves at the local turquoise mines at Serabit el-Khadim and Wadi Nasb. Messengers could be sent ahead of the main group to the miners in order to bring the Hebrew miner to the shoreline camp at Succoth.

d.        As Israel began to backtrack from Etham on day 17 it took only 4 hours for a passenger pigeon to travel the 400 km back to Egypt at 100 km per hour from the Migdol military watchtower which directly overlooked the Hebrew camp. (5 hours at 80 km per hour). Pharaoh would understand the topography of the area that he could arrive before Israel came back up the coast towards Egypt just past Succoth before they would have an eastern escape route. Pharaoh was triggered by the dead end and backtrack at Etham even before Israel reached the final Red Sea camp on day 17.

e.       Pharaoh easily travelled the 400 km in 7 days with 600 horse drawn chariots at a rate of 57 km per day (34 miles per day) and arrived on day 24 or sooner if he drove faster or longer each day. Navel support of supplies down the coast of the Gulf of Suez by ship would have made the trip even faster.

f.        Israel crossed the Red Sea on day 25.

10.   200 km between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai there were 11 rest days:

a.        22 total days between Red Sea and Sinai.

11.   200 km between the Red Sea and Sinai their daily rate of travel was 18 km per day.

a.       22 total days between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai.

b.        11 rest days between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai.

c.       11 travel days between the Red Sea crossing and Sinai

d.       The average daily rate from the red sea to Sinai was 200 km / 11 actual travel days = 18 km (11 miles) per day.

12.   We would predict that their rate of travel would be lower after crossing the Red Sea, given the urgency of fleeing Egypt was gone. The rates of travel figures are realistic easily possible for a large crowd. Keep in mind that God gave them miraculous help and they traveled day and night and Israel could have arrived at the Red sea in 7 days.

a.        Daily travel rate before crossing is 29 km per day.

b.       Daily travel rate after crossing is 18 km per day.

13.   Herodotus said that the same basic area was traveled at a rate of 38 km per day.

a.        Herodotus (450 BC) said that the 150 km trip from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea (north tip of the Gulf of Suez) was a four days journey.

b.       This means they traveled 38 km (23 miles) per day.

c.        "Psammetichus left a son called Necos, who succeeded him upon the throne. This prince was the first to attempt the construction of the canal to the Red Sea - a work completed afterwards by Darius the Persian - the length of which is four days' journey , and the width such as to admit of two triremes being rowed along it abreast. (Herodotus 2.158)

d.       Considering they miraculously travelled day and night, the 3.5 million Hebrews travelled much slower Herodotus indicates was possible.

VI. Chronological markers of the Exodus

2.       In 1446 BC Israel left Egypt exactly 430 years after Jacob entered Egypt “to the day”:

a.        "And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:41)

3.       In 1406 BC Israel crossed the Jordan River 40 years “to the day”:

a.        "While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain." (Joshua 5:10-11)

By Steve Rudd: Contact the author for comments, input or corrections .

Go To Start: WWW.BIBLE.CA

• All Bible Maps
• Heart Messages
• Roman Roads
• Archaeology

Map of the Route of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt

( Enlarge ) ( PDF for Print ) (Freely Distributed)

Map of the Route of the Hebrews from Egypt

This map shows the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land under the leadership of Moses.

The Nile Delta was a triangular area of marshland about 150 miles from north to south, from Memphis to the Mediterranean, and about 150 - 200 miles wide.

Upper Egypt was a bit further south from Lower Egypt, starting at Memphis (bottom of the Nile Delta Triangle) and extended for about 600 miles down the Nile River Valley to Elephantine (Aswan).

Genesis 47:6 - The land of Egypt [is] before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest [any] men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle.

Hosea 9:6 - For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant [places] for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns [shall be] in their tabernacles.

Exodus 14:1-2 - And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

Exodus 14:21-22 - And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Egypt in the Bible Encyclopedia - ISBE Egypt 1. The Basis of the Land: Though Egypt is one of the earliest countries in recorded history, and as regards its continuous civilization, yet it is a late country in its geological history and in its occupation by a settled population. The whole land up to Silsileh is a thick mass of Eocene limestone, with later marls over that in the lower districts. It has been elevated on the East, up to the mountains of igneous rocks many thousand feet high toward the Red Sea. It has been depressed on the West, down to the Fayum and the oases below sea-level. This strain resulted in a deep fault from North to South for some hundreds of miles up from the Mediterranean. This fault left its eastern side about 200 ft. above its western, and into it the drainage of the plateau poured, widening it out so as to form the Nile valley, as the permanent drain of Northeast Africa. The access of water to the rift seems to have caused the basalt outflows, which are seen as black columnar basalt South of the Fayum, and brown massive basalt at Khankah, North of Cairo. 2. The Nile Valley: The gouging out of the Nile valley by rainfall must have continued when the land was 300 ft. higher than at present, as is shown by the immense fails of strata into collapsed caverns which were far below the present Nile level. Then, after the excavations of the valley, it has been submerged to 500 ft. lower than at present, as is shown by the rolled gravel beds and deposits on the tops of the water-worn cliffs, and the filling up of the tributary valleys--as at Thebes--by deep deposits, through which the subsequent stream beds have been scoured out. The land still had the Nile source 30 ft. higher than it is now within the human period, as seen by the worked flints in high gravel beds above the Nile plain. The distribution of land and water was very different from that at present when the land was only 100 ft. lower than now. Such a change would make the valley an estuary up to South of the Fayum, would submerge much of the western desert, and would unite the Gulf of Suez and the Mediterranean. Such differences would entirely alter the conditions of animal life by sea and land. And as the human period began when the water was considerably higher, the conditions of climate and of life must have greatly changed in the earlier ages of man's occupation. Full Article

Egypt in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Egypt (land of the Copts), a country occupying the northeast angle of Africa. Its limits appear always to have been very nearly the same. It is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean Sea, on the east by Palestine, Arabia and the Red Sea, on the south by Nubia, and on the west by the Great Desert. It is divided into upper Egypt --the valley of the Nile --and lower Egypt, the plain of the Delta, from the Greek letter; it is formed by the branching mouths of the Nile, and the Mediterranean Sea. The portions made fertile by the Nile comprise about 9582 square geographical miles, of which only about 5600 is under cultivation. --Encyc. Brit. The Delta extends about 200 miles along the Mediterranean, and Egypt is 520 miles long from north to south from the sea to the First Cataract. NAMES. --The common name of Egypt in the Bible is "Mizraim." It is in the dual number, which indicates the two natural divisions of the country into an upper and a lower region. The Arabic name of Egypt --Mizr-- signifies "red mud." Egypt is also called in the Bible "the land of Ham," Ps 105:23,27 comp. Psal 78:51 --a name most probably referring to Ham the son of Noah --and "Rahab," the proud or insolent: these appear to be poetical appellations. The common ancient Egyptian name of the country is written in hieroglyphics Kem, which was perhaps pronounced Chem. This name signifies, in the ancient language and in Coptic, "black," on account of the blackness of its alluvial soil. We may reasonably conjecture that Kem is the Egyptian equivalent of Ham. GENERAL APPEARANCE, CLIMATE, ETC. --The general appearance of the country cannot have greatly changed since the days of Moses. The whole country is remarkable for its extreme fertility, which especially strikes the beholder when the rich green of the fields is contrasted with the utterly bare, yellow mountains or the sand-strewn rocky desert on either side. The climate is equable and healthy. Rain is not very unfrequent on the northern coast, but inland is very rare. Cultivation nowhere depends upon it. The inundation of the Nile fertilizes and sustains the country, and makes the river its chief blessing. The Nile was on this account anciently worshipped. The rise begins in Egypt about the summer solstice, and the inundation commences about two months later. The greatest height is attained about or somewhat after the autumnal equinox. The inundation lasts about three months. The atmosphere, except on the seacoast, is remarkably dry and clear, which accounts for the so perfect preservation of the monuments, with their pictures and inscriptions. The heat is extreme during a large part of the year. The winters are mild, --from 50 Full Article

The Exodus in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Exodus, The of the Israelites from Egypt. the common chronology places the date of this event at B.C. 1491, deriving it in this way: --In 1Ki 6:1 it is stated that the building of the temple, in the forth year of Solomon, was in the 480th year after the exodus. The fourth year of Solomon was bout B.C. 1012. Add the 480 years (leaving off one years because neither the fourth nor the 480th was a full year), and we have B.C. 1491 as the date of the exodus. This is probably very nearly correct; but many Egyptologists place it at 215 years later, --about B.C. 1300. Which date is right depends chiefly on the interpretation of the Scripture period of 430 years, as denoting the duration of the bondage of the Israelites. The period of bondage given in Ge 15:13,14; Ex 12:40,41 and Gala 3:17 as 430 years has been interpreted to cover different periods. The common chronology makes it extend from the call of Abraham to the exodus, one-half of it, or 215 years, being spend in Egypt. Others make it to cover only the period of bondage spend in Egypt. St. Paul says in Ga 3:17 that from the covenant with (or call of) Abraham the giving of the law (less than a year after the exodus) was 430 years. But in Ge 15:13,14 it is said that they should be strangers in a strange land,a nd be afflicted 400 years, and nearly the same is said in Ex 12:40 But, in very truth, the children of Israel were strangers in a strange land from the time that Abraham left his home for the promised land, and during that whole period of 430 years to the exodus they were nowhere rulers in the land. So in Ex 12:40 it is said that the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was 430 years. But it does not say that the sojourning was all in Egypt, but this people who lived in Egypt had been sojourners for 430 years. (a) This is the simplest way of making the various statements harmonize. (b) The chief difficulty is the great increase of the children of Israel from 70 to 2,000,000 in so short a period as 215 years, while it is very easy in 430 years. But under the circumstances it is perfectly possible in the shorter period. See on ver. 7 (c) If we make the 430 years to include only the bondage in Egypt, we must place the whole chronology of Abraham and the immigration of Jacob into Egypt some 200 years earlier, or else the exodus 200 years later, or B.C. 1300. in either case special difficulty is brought into the reckoning. (d) Therefore, on the whole, it is well to retain the common chronology, though the later dates may yet prove to be correct. The history of the exodus itself commences with the close of that of the ten plagues. [PLAGUES, THE TEN] In the night in which, at midnight, the firstborn were slain, Ex 12:29 Pharaoh urged the departure of the Israelites. vs. Ex 12:31,32 They at once set forth from Rameses, vs. Ex 12:37,39 apparently during the night v. Ex 12:42 but towards morning on the 15th day of the first month. Nu 33:3 They made three journeys, and encamped by the Red Sea. Here Pharaoh overtook them, and the great miracle occurred by which they were saved, while the pursuer and his army were destroyed. [RED SEA, PASSAGE OF] Full Article

The Red Sea in Smith's Bible Dictionary

The Passage of the Red Sea It is necessary to endeavor to ascertain the route of the Israelites before we can attempt to discover where they crossed the sea. The point from which they started was Rameses, a place certain in the land of Goshen, which we identified with the Wadi-t-Tumeylat. They encamped at Succoth. At the end of the second day's journey the camping place was at Etham, "in the edge of the wilderness." Ex 13:20; Nu 33:6 Here the Wadi-t-Tumeylat was probably left, as it is cultivable and terminates in the desert. At the end of the third day's march for each camping place seems to mark the close of a day's journey the Israelites encamped by the sea, place of this last encampment and that of the passage would be not very far from the Persepolitan monument at Pihahiroth. It appears that Migdol was behind Pi-hahiroth and on the other hand Baalzephon and the sea. From Pi-hahiroth the Israelites crossed the sea. This was not far from halfway between the Bitter Lakes and the Gulf of Suez, where now it is dry land. The Muslims suppose Memphis to have been the city at which the Pharaoh of the exodus resided before that event occurred. From opposite Memphis a broad valley leads to the Red Sea. It is in part called the Wadi-t-Teeh, or "Valley of the Wandering." From it the traveller reaches the sea beneath the lofty Gebel-et-Takah, which rises in the north and shuts off all escape in that direction excepting by a narrow way along the seashore, which Pharaoh might have occupied. The sea here is broad and deep, as the narrative is generally held to imply. All the local features seem suited for a great event. The only points bearing on geography in the account of this event are that the sea was divided by an east wind. Whence we may reasonably infer that it was crossed from west to east, and that the whole Egyptian army perished, which shows that it must have been some miles broad. Full Article

The Bible Mentions "Egypt" Many Times

Exodus 34:18 - The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt . Genesis 46:7 - His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt . Jeremiah 2:18 - And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt , to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? Jeremiah 44:14 - So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape. Isaiah 19:22 - And the LORD shall smite Egypt : he shall smite and heal [it]: and they shall return [even] to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. 2 Kings 17:4 - And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt , and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as [he had done] year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. Exodus 23:15 - Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt : and none shall appear before me empty:) Exodus 10:13 - And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt , and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all [that] night; [and] when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. Exodus 9:25 - And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that [was] in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field. Jeremiah 44:30 - Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaohhophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life. Ezekiel 20:5 - And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made myself known unto them in the land of Egypt , when I lifted up mine hand unto them, saying, I [am] the LORD your God; Numbers 11:18 - And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for [it was] well with us in Egypt : therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. 1 Kings 8:16 - Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt , I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel. Joshua 5:6 - For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people [that were] men of war, which came out of Egypt , were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey. Jeremiah 43:11 - And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt , [and deliver] such [as are] for death to death; and such [as are] for captivity to captivity; and such [as are] for the sword to the sword. Genesis 47:6 - The land of Egypt [is] before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest [any] men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. Ezekiel 29:12 - And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries [that are] desolate, and her cities among the cities [that are] laid waste shall be desolate forty years: and I will scatter the Egypt ians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries. Exodus 12:42 - It [is] a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt : this [is] that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations. Deuteronomy 16:1 - Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Deuteronomy 17:16 - But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt , to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Joshua 24:4 - And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt . Judges 6:8 - That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt , and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; Genesis 41:36 - And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt ; that the land perish not through the famine. Deuteronomy 13:5 - And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn [you] away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt , and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. Joshua 24:32 - And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt , buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph. Joshua 5:5 - Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people [that were] born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt , [them] they had not circumcised. Genesis 45:23 - And to his father he sent after this [manner]; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt , and ten she asses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father by the way. Exodus 8:17 - And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt . Ezekiel 30:6 - Thus saith the LORD; They also that uphold Egypt shall fall; and the pride of her power shall come down: from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD. 2 Chronicles 6:5 - Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

Explore the Bible Like Never Before!

Unearth the rich tapestry of biblical history with our extensive collection of over 1000 meticulously curated Bible Maps and Images . Enhance your understanding of scripture and embark on a journey through the lands and events of the Bible.

• Ancient city layouts
• Historic routes of biblical figures
• Architectural wonders of the Holy Land
• Key moments in biblical history

Start Your Journey Today!

Click here to access our Bible Maps and Images

Table of Contents

About bible geography, about bible maps, ancient empire maps, bible map collections, bible map series, biblical map projects, geographical maps, interactive bible maps, intertestamental color maps, new testament color maps, new testament maps, old testament color maps, old testament maps.

Spiral Path Journeys * Travel and Be Transformed

Signed in as:

[email protected]

• Group Retreats
• Soul Quests

Hi, I'm Jennifer! I'm So Happy You're Here!

Travel is about connecting to my authentic self.

This little rosey cheeked girl you see here had a wild and free spirit (and a unique way of dressing!) So it makes perfect sense that she eventually discovered travel as a great way to get to express herself, know herself better, learn to love her own company , and ultimately love who she is.

I always loved going on trips! I was always excite about family vacations growing up. And at 11 years old my love for solo travel was ignited . I was flying alone for the first time to see my grandparents in San Antonio, TX. The thrill of no parents to tell me what to do, no siblings to fight with, and no one to compromise what I wanted , just as solo travel should be!

But as that sweet little one, I had to go through some challenging times before I found the deeper gifts that travel had for me . And so fast forward many years past college, a wedding, the birth of two children to a time when I felt lost.

Have you ever just wanted to get away? To escape? For days? Weeks? Months? Forever? So have I!

I was a stay at home mom to two wonderful kids but unhappy in my marriage and miserable in my own body. I needed peace and quiet and time to focus solely on myself.

A trip to Ireland and my first trip, longer than a day or two, away from my family gave me some valuable time to myself.

I didn’t just come back refreshed, I came back knowing myself a little better.

Travel wasn't just about getting a break away from something or someone, but a chance to be WITH myself ; to get to know myself, listen to what I wanted. And in this, I saw how much I was living my life for other people and rarely for myself.

The BEAUTY of Ireland helped me RECONNECT WITH MY BODY.

Wondering  along the Cliffs of Moher while gazing across the Atlantic Ocean, I realized I had been living my life NOT in my body for a very long time . I had never felt so present and beautiful in my own skin. I never felt like this at home and this was a profound realization that only happened because I had taken this trip.

There was something truly magical about the beautiful Irish landscape and I learned to never underestimate the power of being immersed in beauty . A breathtaking view can make us feel totally connected to everything.

I found traveling to beautiful places, those that spoke to my heart and soul, to be the greatest paths of transformation. These travels mirrored my journey into the truth of my own heart; that I am an alive, beautiful, confident, and empowered being, with the strength to put my own well being as a top priority. No one benefits when we abandon ourselves. I know this sounds unreal, but I stand so fully in the truth that travel has the power to lead us into Self-Love.

Transformational Travel

Little did I know that my trip to Ireland would be the beginning of a truly inspired path. Several years later I travelled on a Sacred Sites Tour to England . This trip further changed the way I travel as its focus was of a Spiritual nature. It turned out to be deeply personal, profoundly spiritual, and absolutely unforgettable .

England changed me foreve r.  The beauty of the landscape made me feel alive and getting in tune with the sacred energy of the land through visiting the ancient sites was my introduction to what I now call Transformational Travel.

Jennifer's authenticity and style of presenting are so open and heart-felt, and makes it easy to connect with her.

S.E. ~Client

I Continue on My Spiral Path

Today I am here supporting women in living inspired, empowered, and heart-lead lives; using travel as the unique, exciting, and powerful vehicle to get there .

Something Only Travel Can Do

It's true! In a way nothing else can, spending time in a different place, away from our day-to-day routines , gives us the opportunity to really know who we are and provide clarity and inspiration about where to step next. And the power is exponentially expanded when that place is one that has been calling to us on a Heart and Soul level.

Spiral Path Journeys - a Passion Project

Creating Spiral Path Journeys was the obvious next step on my own path. The perfect combination of my commitment to supporting other women in finding unique and joyful ways to reconnect with themselves and bring more beauty into their lives , with my own love of travel and desire to live authentically. SPJ's Group Retreats in England and New Mexico, and solo travel Soul Quest coaching program makes Transformational Travel easy, attainable, and fun!

Let's chat about how you can receive travel's gifts.

Spiral path journeys offers.

Solo Travel Soul Quests

Transformational Guidance

Copyright © 2024 Spiral Path Journeys - All Rights Reserved.

• England Retreat
• New Mexico Retreat

Our Free Gift to You!

10 Fun, Unique, and Inspiring Ways to Experience 

Truly Transformational Travel

Your free ebook will include 10 ways of consciously creating a more meaningful trip.

10 inspiring ways of adding powerful transformation to your life experience without adding even an ounce to your luggage! 

Flight Time Calculator

Flying time between cities.

Travelmath provides an online flight time calculator for all types of travel routes. You can enter airports, cities, states, countries, or zip codes to find the flying time between any two points. The database uses the great circle distance and the average airspeed of a commercial airliner to figure out how long a typical flight would take. Find your travel time to estimate the length of a flight between airports, or ask how long it takes to fly from one city to another.

You can also search for the closest airport to any city in the world or check the flying distance between airports. If you're thinking about a road trip, compare the driving time for the same route.

Home  ·  About  ·  Terms  ·  Privacy

Subina Shrestha’s ‘Devi’ Traces Nepalese Activist’s Path From Survivor of Sexual Violence to Seeker of Justice (EXCLUSIVE)

By Jennie Punter

Jennie Punter

• ‘Beethoven’s Nine’ Director Larry Weinstein Set Out to Make a Doc About the Famed Symphony — but Ended Up With His Most Personal Film Yet (EXCLUSIVE) 2 weeks ago
• Hot Docs Reveals Lineup With 168 Films Screening Amid Mass Programmer Exit 1 month ago
• ‘One Summer,’ ‘Ru’ Lead Canada’s Diverse Slate at European Film Market 2 months ago

Filmmaker and journalist Subina Shrestha ’s “Devi”—about Devi Khadka ’s journey from surviving wartime rape to fighting alongside rebel guerrillas in Nepal’s civil war to working for justice in her country’s transitional justice movement—lands at Toronto’s Hot Docs as international awareness of and concern about the safety, rights, and health of women in conflict zones around the world intensifies.

Popular on Variety

“Every country that has war has the same stories of sexual violence but they never get attention in reparations,” said Shrestha, noting that the U.N.’s Security Council Resolution 1820—which recognizes the use of sexual violence as a tool or tactic of war and stresses that such crimes should be excluded from amnesty provisions—was only adopted in 2008.

“In Nepal, nobody had raised this issue of sexual violence after the civil war ended,” she continued. “People who were wounded and families of the dead were compensated but people who experienced sexual violence were shunned.”

Early in the civil war, which erupted in 1996 between Maoist guerrillas and the monarchy government, Devi was accused of rebellion. She was tortured and raped by police while in custody. After her release in 1997, the Maoist leadership put Devi in front of the media.

“Devi’s story was the only one to come out and so it was impossible to talk to her after that because she had been vilified by the media and did not want to tell her story to media,” said Shrestha, who was a rookie journalist in Nepal doing stories on Maoist women when she first heard about Devi.

Now based in the U.K., Shrestha reached out to Devi multiple times over the years without success, all the while building a career as a journalist in both print and broadcast, garnering recognition for her coverage of Nepal’s earthquake and reporting undercover in Myanmar.

This work, as well as her connection to former Maoist and independent Nepalese journalist Asmita Khadka (one of the doc’s producers and its researcher), landed her a meeting in 2019. “(Devi) gave me her diary, and said do whatever you need,” Shrestha said. “We had to interview her multiple times to understand it, and it was a long process to gain the trust of her family.”

Gentle scenes of Devi’s family life and her interactions with Nepalese women who experienced sexual violence during the war are interwoven with archive and interviews to convey her backstory as well as footage following her development as an activist. Consent was a constant priority during filming.

Devi became a parliamentary politician after the war ended in 2006. She did not plan to become an activist or public leader in justice for fellow survivors, but the filmmaking process changed her perspective, Shrestha said. “When she started telling her story there was no stopping her, and our responsibility as filmmakers changed. There were stops and starts, and the therapist who has helped (Devi) in 1997 came on board for our filming with Devi.”

In the early stages, the team couldn’t raise funds in Nepal, let alone talk about the project openly due to their concerns about certain people in power at that time. The film’s circle was initially tight, composed of Shrestha, Khadka and London-based producer Rosie Garthwaite. In addition to shooting, cinematographer Bishnu Kalpit, who worked with Shrestha on stories for Al Jazeera over many years, also contributed and sourced never-before-seen archival footage of Nepal’s civil war.

They drew on personal resources for funding to keep things rolling. Shrestha was also a recipient of a 2022 Ochberg Fellowship from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, which supports mid-career journalists seeking to improve their reporting of traumatic events and their aftermath.

Further into the process, Danielle Turkov and Amy Shepherd of Think-Film Impact Productions helped connect Devi to international conversations, organizations, and actions around CRSV. They are credited as executive producers, alongside Danish producer Sigrid Dyekjær (“The Cave”).

Producer Heejung Oh, who works between Seoul and Amsterdam, approached the team after a pitch event with an offer to get involved. Phil Jandaly and Nicole Hálová edited the film.

“The filmmaking was helping Devi build her strategy while working through the impact side of it,” Shrestha said. “Now she’s doing her own thing. When we started the film, there was nothing in Nepal’s transitional justice process for sexual violence. Now there is an amended bill and all the demands she asked for are included.”

“Devi” screens again on May 1 at Hot Docs.

More From Our Brands

Taylor swift makes chart history with ‘the tortured poets department’, aston martin’s fastest-ever vantage makes formula 1® debut, mlbpa rips nike amid changes to controversial uniforms, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, the conners is losing its wednesdays-at-8 time slot on abc — find out why, verify it's you, please log in.

Sonora's Dylan Ford and his comeback path to state tournament success

Sonora’s Dylan Ford had a nearly perfect sophomore year.

Ford was named Defensive Newcomer of the Year in District 7-2A football , starred on the varsity basketball and tennis teams and finished the year as the Class 2A boys golf state champion.

Since picking up a golf club at six years old, golf has always been Ford's biggest passion. He said his father introduced him to golf after taking him on an outing and watching him swing a club — by seven years old, he was playing in youth tournaments.

“I like to put in a lot of work at practice,” Ford said. “Whenever I have free time, I go to the golf course. We have a light out at our driving range, and I’ll go out there at 10 at night on Saturday or even on weekdays because I really like to go out there and practice.”

HS GOLF: Central's Vaughn, Leonard lead golf to third place finish at 2024 San Angelo Boys Classic

HS SPORTS: Central's Jaylen DeHoyos shatters records to claim class 6A state powerlifting title

Ford started his high school career with a trip to the 3A state tournament and finished in seventh place. Even though Sonora moved down in classification the next year, he hit the ground running leading the boys golf team to a district championship and another trip back to the state tournament where he took home first place firing a 69 on both days for a total of 138.

Coming into his junior year, Ford had many of the same goals. He wanted to increase his role on the football team, continue improving in basketball and tennis and, of course, win another golf state championship.

A new goal he set for this year was to bring home a state medal with the rest of the boys team.

“I feel like if we could get a medal as a team that would be amazing,” Ford said. “We haven’t done that in a little while, but if we could place as a team, it would be really big for the community too because they support us so much.”

"I don't remember"

The year began swimmingly for Ford. The football team was first in its district and ranked as high as eighth in the state. Everything was going according to plan until he noticed something off after a game at Anthony seven weeks into the season.

“I don’t remember hurting my knee at all during the game,” Ford said. “I just remember getting on the bus and I noticed my knee hurt. I woke up the next morning and it was all swollen, but I played the rest of the season with it… It really hurt but I just wanted to play with my teammates.”

After the football season ended, Ford went to the doctor to check on the pain in his knee. The diagnosis was a torn meniscus, which meant he would miss out on the rest of the year and all of the goals he set for himself.

To hopefully save the rest of his season, Ford sought a second opinion from another doctor in San Antonio who gave him the good news he was looking for. He said the doctors confirmed his diagnosis of a torn meniscus, but he could return by golf season after some intense physical rehabilitation. Even though he would forego basketball, he could still defend his state golf title and help his team to the medal stand at state.

Ford said a large part of his belief he could return came from his support system in the community, his family and Sonora’s golf coach Mitch Kay.

“When all of that was happening, my thought was never the golf team or about the season,” Kay said. “My mind was totally on him because I know he lives to compete at anything he’s doing, and I wanted his mind to be okay with potentially not being able to compete. I was making sure that he understood he would be okay and that he would be able to rehab this and come back stronger.”

The journey back

Ford made it back to the greens but admitted he did not play his best golf this year because he did not feel fully comfortable with his game. After not playing the way he wanted at district, he said he needed to tweak some things and overcome a mental block that formed while rehabbing his knee.

A slight fix to widen his stance and he felt like he was back playing high-level golf again after the regional tournament. He finished second overall at regionals, scoring a 71 on the first day and a 75 on the second day, which he said was still not quite up to his standards. And even though Ford wanted to perform better individually, he helped the boys team beat New Home in a playoff for the regional title — something last year's team did not do.

“I think (winning the play-off) was pretty big for our guys,” Kay said. “We struggled a bit on the front nine of the second day, but we brought it back together… I think it was big for our guys mentality moving forward.”

The Broncos move forward to the Class 2A boys state golf tournament at Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin on Apr. 29-30, where Ford plans to fulfill two goals he set this year, defending his title and helping the boys golf team onto the medal stand.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Sonora's Dylan Ford and his comeback path to state tournament success

Biden signs $95-billion military aid measure that includes path to ban TikTok

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

President Biden signed into law a $95-billion military aid measure Wednesday that includes assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and has a provision that would force social media site TikTok to be sold or banned in the U.S.

The announcement marks an end to long, painful battle with Republicans in Congress over urgently needed assistance for Ukraine.

“We rose to the moment. We came together. And we got it done,” Biden said at a White House event to announce the signing. “Now we need to move fast, and we are.”

But significant damage has been done to the Biden administration’s effort to help Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion during the funding impasse that dates to August, when the Democratic president made his first emergency spending request for Ukraine aid. Even with a burst of new weapons and ammunition, it is unlikely Ukraine will immediately recover after months of setbacks.

Biden also signed an initial aid package of military assistance and said shipment would begin in the “next few hours” — the first tranche from about $61 billion allocated for Ukraine, according to U.S. officials. It is expected to include air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces who have seen morale sink as the Russian military has racked up win after win.

But longer term, it remains uncertain whether Ukraine — after months of losses in eastern Ukraine and sustaining massive damage to its infrastructure — can make enough progress to sustain U.S. political support before burning through the latest influx of money.

“It’s not going in the Ukrainians’ favor in the Donbas, certainly not elsewhere in the country,” said White House national security spokesman John F. Kirby, referring to the eastern industrial heartland where Ukraine has suffered setbacks. Russian President Vladimir “Putin thinks he can play for time. So we’ve got to try to make up some of that time.”

Tucked into the measure is a provision that gives TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, nine months to sell it or face a nationwide prohibition in the United States. The president can grant a one-time extension of 90 days, bringing the timeline to sell to one year, if he certifies that there’s a path to divestiture and “significant progress” toward executing it.

The administration and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have called the social media site a growing national security concern.

TikTok said will wage a legal challenge against what it called an “unconstitutional” effort by Congress.

“We believe the facts and the law are clearly on our side, and we will ultimately prevail,” the company said in a statement. “The fact is, we have invested billions of dollars to keep U.S. data safe and our platform free from outside influence and manipulation. This ban would devastate seven million businesses and silence 170 million Americans.”

Biden underscored that the bill also includes a surge of humanitarian relief for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip suffering as the Israel-Hamas war continues. He said Israel must ensure the humanitarian aid reaches Gaza “without delay.”

Russia now appears focused on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. Russian forces have exploited air defense shortages in the city, pummeling the region’s energy infrastructure, and looking to shape conditions for a potential summer offensive to seize the city.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delayed a vote on the supplemental aid package for months as members of his party’s far right wing, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, threatened to move to oust him if he allowed a vote to send more assistance to Ukraine. Those threats persist.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that the delay in funding by his fellow Republicans could have a lasting impact on Ukraine’s hopes of winning the war.

“Make no mistake: Delay in providing Ukraine the weapons to defend itself has strained the prospects of defeating Russian aggression,” McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday. “Dithering and hesitation have compounded the challenges we face.”

Former President Trump, the presumptive 2024 presidential GOP nominee, has long criticized U.S. support for Ukraine and has defended Putin. More recently he’s complained that European allies have not done enough for Ukraine. While he stopped short of endorsing the supplemental funding package, his tone has shifted in recent days, acknowledging that Ukraine’s survival is important to the United States.

Many European leaders have long been nervous that a second Trump presidency would mean decreased U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO. The European anxiety was heightened in February when Trump in a campaign speech warned NATO allies that he “would encourage” Russia “to do whatever the hell they want” to countries that don’t meet defense spending goals if he returns to the White House.

Trump’s comments came at a key moment in the debate over Ukraine spending. North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg quickly called out Trump for putting “American and European soldiers at increased risk.” Biden days later called Trump’s comments “dangerous” and “un-American” and accused his rival of playing into Putin’s hands.

The White House maneuvering to win additional funding for Ukraine started months earlier.

Biden, the day after returning from a whirlwind trip to Tel Aviv following the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel, used a rare prime time address to make his pitch for the supplemental funding.

At the time, the House was in chaos because the Republican majority had been unable to select a speaker to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, who had been removed more than two weeks earlier. McCarthy’s ouster by the GOP’s far right came after he agreed earlier to allow federal spending levels that many far-right House Republicans disagreed with and wanted undone.

Far-right Republicans have also adamantly opposed sending more money for Ukraine. Biden in August requested more than $20 billion to keep aid flowing into Ukraine, but the money was stripped out of a must-pass spending bill even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky traveled to Washington to make a personal plea for continued U.S. backing.

By late October, Republicans finally settled on Johnson, a low-profile lawmaker whose thinking on Ukraine was opaque, to serve as the next speaker. Biden during his congratulatory call with Johnson urged him to quickly pass Ukraine aid and began a months-long, largely behind-the-scenes effort to bring the matter to a vote.

In private conversations with Johnson, Biden and White House officials emphasized the stakes for Europe if Ukraine were to fall to Russia. Five days after Johnson was formally elected speaker, national security advisor Jake Sullivan outlined to him the administration’s strategy on Ukraine and assured him that accountability measures were in place in Ukraine to track where the aid was going — an effort to address a common complaint from conservatives.

On explicit orders from Biden, White House officials also avoided directly attacking Johnson over the stalled aid — a directive the president repeatedly instilled in his senior staff.

White House officials came to view Johnson as a direct and honest actor throughout the negotiations, according to a senior administration official. Biden had success finding common ground with Republicans earlier in his term to win the passage of a $1-trillion infrastructure deal, legislation to boost the U.S. semiconductor industry and an expansion of federal healthcare services for veterans exposed to toxic smoke from burn pits. And he knew there was plenty of Republican support for further Ukraine funding.

At frustrating moments during the negotiations, Biden urged his aides to “just keep talking, keep working,” according to the official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal discussions.

So they did. In a daily meeting convened by White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, the president’s top aides — seated around a big oval table in Zients’ office — would brainstorm possible ways to better make the case about Ukraine’s dire situation in the absence of aid.

Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, and legislative affairs director Shuwanza Goff were in regular contact with Johnson. Goff and Johnson’s senior staff also spoke frequently as a deal came into focus.

The White House also sought to accommodate Johnson and his various asks. For instance, administration officials at the speaker’s request briefed Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), two hard-right members who were persistent antagonists of Johnson.

All the while, senior Biden officials frequently updated McConnell and key House Republican committee leaders, including Reps. Michael McCaul of Texas and Michael R. Turner of Ohio.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Biden’s instincts to resist pressuring Johnson proved correct.

“Joe Biden has a very good sense of when to heavily intervene and when to try to shape things,” Schumer said.

In public, the administration deployed a strategy of downgrading intelligence to reveal Russia’s efforts to tighten its ties with U.S. adversaries China, North Korea and Iran to fortify Moscow’s defense industrial complex and get around U.S. and European sanctions.

For example, U.S. officials this month laid out intelligence findings that showed China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology that Moscow in turn is using to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry. Earlier, the White House publicized intelligence that Russia had acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea and acquired attack drones from Iran.

The $61 billion can help shore up Ukrainian forces, but Kyiv will need much more for a fight that could last years, military experts say.

Realistic goals for the months ahead for Ukraine — and its allies — include avoiding the loss of major cities, slowing Russia’s momentum and getting additional weaponry to Kyiv that could help it go on the offensive in 2025, said Bradley Bowman, a defense strategy and policy analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington.

“In our microwave culture, we tend to want immediate results,” Bowman said. “And sometimes things are just hard and you can’t get immediate results. I think Ukrainian success is not guaranteed, but Russian success is if we stop supporting Ukraine.”

Madhani and Kim write for the Associated Press.

More to Read

U.S. announces new Patriot missiles for Ukraine as part of $6-billion aid package

April 26, 2024

Questions swirl over the future of TikTok. Who could own it? How will the platform operate?

April 24, 2024

TikTok may be banned in the U.S. Here’s what happened when India did it

Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter

Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

World & Nation

College protesters want ‘amnesty.’ At stake: Tuition, legal charges, grades and graduation

April 28, 2024

Biden and Netanyahu speak as pressure grows on Israel over Rafah invasion

Russian drones strike Black Sea town, set hotel ablaze

Antiwar protesters dig in as some schools close encampments after reports of antisemitic activity

April 27, 2024

Elektrostal, Russia

Region: Moscow Oblast

Geographic coordinates: 55.783300, 38.466700, temperature range: -40.0°c to 30.0°c (-40°f to 86°f), climate: cold and snowy winters, mild summers with occasional heat waves., population: 158508, language: russian.

Elektrostal, Located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, Is a city known for its industrial heritage and diverse economy. With a population of around 150, 000 people, It lies approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow. Founded in 1916 as an industrial center for steel and metal production, Elektrostal’s most notable landmark is the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant (EMZ). The plant produces various steel products including railway wheels, Pipes, Wire rod, And sheet metal. Apart from its industrial significance, Elektrostal offers several cultural attractions that are worth visiting.

The Museum-Estate Kuskovo features an impressive collection of art and artifacts from the 18th century. Lake Senezh – a large freshwater lake outside Elektrostal’s city limits – provides opportunities for swimming, Boating or fishing during summer months. Elektrostal also has several parks where visitors can enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking or cycling. Gorky Park features walking paths along with sports facilities like tennis courts and basketball courts. Public transport within Elektrostal itself is convenient with numerous bus routes connecting different parts within the city limits as well as nearby towns like Noginsk or Dmitrovskiy Districts in Moscow Region.

Overall Elektrostal offers visitors an interesting mix of industrial heritage, Cultural attractions and natural beauty making it definitely worth a visit whether you’re interested in learning about Russia’s steel industry or simply want to enjoy the outdoors.

Important Landmarks

• The Museum of Local Lore – it showcases the history and culture of the town.
• The Church of St. Nicholas – a beautiful Orthodox church built in the 19th century.
• Victory Park – a large park with several monuments dedicated to World War II heroes.
• Ice Palace Vityaz – a modern ice arena that hosts various sports events and concerts.
• Elektrostal Central Park – a popular spot for picnics, walking, and outdoor activities.
• The Monument to Soviet Soldiers – located in Victory Square, it honors soldiers who died during World War II.
• Elektrostal History Museum – displays artifacts from ancient times to present day including photographs, documents, paintings etc.,
• Kuzminsky Park- A beautiful park with greenery all around perfect for spending some quality time with family or friends

Primary Industries

• Metallurgical Industry: Elektrostal is renowned for its steel production industry that involves the manufacturing of steel pipes, wires, sheets and other metal products.
• Chemical Industry: The city boasts several chemical plants that produce chemicals such as ammonia, fertilizers and plastics.
• Machinery Industry: Elektrostal has a significant machinery industry that produces machine tools, mining equipment and other industrial machinery.
• Construction Materials Industry: There are several cement factories in the city producing cement and concrete products.
• Food Processing Industry: Several food processing plants operate within the city producing dairy products, meat products and other food items.
• Energy Sector: The city houses a thermal power plant which supplies electricity to the region.
• Retail and Service Sector: Additionally, there is a well-developed retail sector with shopping centers, supermarkets and small shops catering to the local population’s needs.

Noteable History

• The city was founded in 1916 as a center for steel production during World War I.
• During World War II, Elektrostal played a crucial role in supplying the Soviet army with weapons and ammunition.
• In 1957, the first nuclear power plant in Russia was built near Elektrostal.
• The city is known for producing high-quality steel that is used in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, and construction.
• Notable people from Elektrostal include Olympic gold medalist figure skater Irina Slutskaya and former Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko.
• In recent years, the city has undergone significant modernization efforts to improve its infrastructure and attract new businesses to the area.

Museums and Things To See

• Museum of Local Lore: This museum showcases the history and culture of Elektrostal and the surrounding region.
• Victory Park: A large park dedicated to the victory in World War II, with monuments, memorials, and a military museum.
• Church of St. Nicholas: A beautiful Orthodox church with stunning frescoes and icons.
• The House-Museum of V.V.Vorovsky: This museum is dedicated to the revolutionary leader Vorovsky who lived in Elektrostal for a time.
• The Central Culture and Leisure Park: A popular park with various attractions like amusement rides, sports facilities, cafes etc.
• The Monument to the First Builders of Elektrostal: This monument commemorates those who built the city’s first industrial complex.
• Art Gallery Art-El: An art center featuring works by local artists as well as exhibitions from around Russia and beyond.
• Museum Elektrosvet: A unique museum showcasing lighting equipment from various periods starting from 19th century till present day.

Cultural Events

• City Day Celebration: This festival is held annually on the first weekend of September to celebrate the founding of Elektrostal.
• International Festival The World of Dance: A dance festival featuring performances from various countries around the world.
• Folklore Kaleidoscope Festival: A cultural event showcasing traditional folk music, dance, and costumes from different regions of Russia.
• Art-Electro Festival: An art exhibition featuring works by local artists as well as artists from other parts of Russia.
• Jazz Festivals: There are several jazz festivals held throughout the year in Elektrostal which feature performances by local and international jazz musicians.

• Shashlychnaya No. 1 – A restaurant specializing in shashlik (Russian kebabs) and other grilled meats.
• Cafe U Dvukh Medvedey – A cozy cafe serving traditional Russian dishes like borscht, pelmeni (dumplings), and blini (pancakes).
• Pivnaya Apteka – A beer bar with a wide selection of craft beers from Russia and around the world.
• Kebab House – A fast-food chain offering various types of kebabs, falafel wraps, and salads.
• Cafe Podkova – Another cozy cafe serving Russian dishes like beef stroganoff, chicken Kiev, and dumplings with different fillings.
• Restaurant Kolbasny Dom – A meat lover’s paradise with various types of sausages, smoked meats, and steaks on the menu.
• Sushi Master – For those who crave Japanese cuisine; this sushi restaurant offers fresh sushi rolls and sashimi plates.
• Pizzeria Mama Mia!- If you’re in the mood for Italian food; this pizzeria offers delicious pizzas made from scratch using fresh ingredients.
• Cafe Kamelot- A cozy café serving traditional Russian dishes such as borscht soup,pelmeni (dumplings),and vareniki(boiled dumplings).
• Restaurant “Gagarin”- Named after Yuri Gagarin; this restaurant serves European cuisine including steaks,pasta,and salads along with exotic cocktails to choose from!

Parks and Recreation

• Central Park of Culture and Rest
• Park of the 50th Anniversary of Victory
• Park of the 300th Anniversary of Elektrostal
• Sports and Recreation Complex Olympic
• Ice Palace Elektrostal
• Ski resort Krugloye Ozero
• Beach complex Sunny Beach
• Tennis club Elektrostal
• Bowling club Strike
• Paintball club Delta Force

Create Memories, Travel Often.

Explore more:.

Marikina City, Philippines

Reading Time: 7 minutes Marikina City, Philippines Region: Metro Manila Geographic Coordinates: 14.650000, 121.100000 Temperature Range: 20.0°C to 35.0°C (68°F to 95°F) Climate: Seasonal climate and weather patterns in Marikina City, Philippines are influenced by the tropical monsoon climate, characterized by a wet season

Varginha, Brazil

Reading Time: 5 minutes Varginha, Brazil Region: Minas Gerais Geographic Coordinates: -21.551700, -45.430000 Temperature Range: 15.0°C to 30.0°C (59°F to 86°F) Population: 123081 Language: Portuguese Varginha is a city located in the southern region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It has a population of approximately

Yucheng, China

Reading Time: 6 minutes Yucheng, China Region: Henan Geographic Coordinates: 29.988800, 103.001000 Temperature Range: -40.0°C to 40.0°C (-40°F to 104°F) Population: 1507258 Language: Mandarin Yucheng is a city located in the Shandong province of China. It is situated on the eastern coast of the

Āgra, India

Reading Time: 6 minutes Āgra, India Region: Uttar Pradesh Geographic Coordinates: 27.180000, 78.020000 Temperature Range: 20.0°C to 45.0°C (68°F to 113°F) Climate: Seasonal climate and weather patterns in Āgra, India are influenced by a monsoon season from June to September, with hot and dry

Dublin, Ireland

Reading Time: 5 minutes Dublin, Ireland Region: Dublin, Ireland is located in the province of Leinster Geographic Coordinates: 53.350000, -6.260300 Temperature Range: -10.0°C to 30.0°C (14°F to 86°F) Climate: Seasonal. Population: 1173179 Language: English Dublin, The capital city of Ireland, Is a vibrant and

Xi’an, China

Reading Time: 7 minutes Xi’an, China Region: Shaanxi Geographic Coordinates: 34.266700, 108.900000 Temperature Range: -15.0°C to 35.0°C (5°F to 95°F) Climate: Xi’an, China experiences a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The city receives most of its precipitation during the summer months,

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Ross Douthat

The Real Path to an American Civil War

By Ross Douthat

Opinion Columnist

This week Donald Trump was put on trial by a liberal prosecutor on what seems like the most nakedly political of the multiple charges that he’s facing. To protest this outrage against their glorious leader, the MAGA faithful gathered outside the New York courthouse in the thousands, ready to storm into the halls of justice … well, perhaps in the hundreds, ready to get in the face of Trump’s legal persecutors … well, no, actually it was a few dozen Trump supporters, waving signs and outnumbered by the gawking press.

This fairly pitiful scene made an interesting accompaniment to the country’s biggest movie at the moment, Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” which depicts a version of contemporary America riven by civil strife, with various secessionist forces at war against a dictatorial president who’s stayed on for a third term.

That president is clearly a Trump-like figure, but the movie is extremely light on politics; it’s mostly interested in juxtaposing scenes of brutality — mass graves, tortured prisoners, firefights and summary executions — with the familiar American landscapes of shopping malls, carwashes and the pillars of the White House. We aren’t supposed to ask for detailed how-we-got-here explanations; we’re just supposed to meditate on how easily It Could Happen Here.

Some people who like “Civil War” find the political lacuna admirable, since it cuts the movie free from current ideological preoccupations and lets us take the antiwar message straight.

Some people who dislike the movie — I am one of them — think that the underexplanation is a total cop-out , making civil strife seem like a natural disaster or a zombie apocalypse, when in reality it usually represents the extension of politics by awful but reasonable-seeming means. If you refuse to give those reasons, to explain how exactly the politics of today’s America could yield our own version of 1990s Yugoslavia, you haven’t actually made a movie about an American civil war; you just have war as a generic signifier that happens to have strip malls and subdivisions in the background.

This objection is weaker the more the path to a second U.S. civil war seems self-evident. If you think we’re obviously teetering on the brink of such a disaster, it’s easier to accept a work of art that imagines us tipped over.

A lot of people think that these days, so here is a short list of the reasons they’re wrong. America’s ideological divisions don’t follow the kind of geographical or regional lines that lend themselves to secessionist movements or armed conflict. America’s political coalitions have become less polarized by race and ethnicity of late, not more. America is getting older and richer with every passing year, both of which strongly disincentivize transforming political differences into military ones. And such disincentives are especially strong for the elites who would need to divide into opposing camps: Texan or Californian power brokers, for example, both have far more influence as powerful stakeholders of the American empire than they would as leaders of a Lone Star or Bear Flag Republic.

Above all, a civil war needs people eager for the fight — a lot of people for continentwide war of the kind depicted in the movie, but a critical mass even for a lower-grade form of civil strife, like Northern Ireland’s Troubles. And relative to past eras of crisis in our history, from the 1860s to the 1960s, Americans today just do not display any great enthusiasm for politically motivated violence.

Instead, the gap between the Sturm und Drang online and the handful of Trump supporters at the courthouse this week is representative of one part of our condition: an enthusiasm for online conflict, virtual combat, rage tweets and hate clicks as substitutes for brawling and bombing in the real world.

The other part of our condition, meanwhile, is a growing spirit of pessimism, apathy and dropping out: We are more melancholic than choleric; more disillusioned than fanatical. And a Trump-Biden rematch that inspires general dismay but can’t get even the TV ratings of the last round is not likely to be our Fort Sumter moment.

To which comes the response: What about a second Trump administration as the spark, given the way the last Trump administration ended? What about Jan. 6? What about, to be more bipartisan, the waves of protest and violence in the summer of 2020, the cities on fire, the tear gas outside the White House? Didn’t Americans show an appetite for internecine conflict then?

The answer is that they did, albeit up to a well-short-of-the-1860s point. But the breakdown happened only in the pandemic year, under extremely unusual conditions and pressures most people had never experienced before. A once-in-a-century global plague and an unprecedented shutdown of society converging with a fraught election did, indeed, break through the torpor I’m describing, turn virtual playacting into actual statue toppling and make right-wing dreampolitik temporarily real. In that sense, 2020 showed that any general pattern or trend can be disrupted, given insane-seeming circumstances and a mentality of existential crisis.

But once the circumstances normalized, the appeal of protest politics dissipated. There was no follow-up to Jan. 6 on the right, no wave of insurrectionary violence carried out by true believers in President Biden’s illegitimacy, no rush to join the Proud Boys by ordinary right-wingers. Likewise on the left, the racial reckoning was subsumed back into bureaucratic politics, the CHAZ commune in Seattle was dismantled rather than imitated, antifa receded back into the shadows. It’s not that protest politics disappeared (witness the various disruptive protests on behalf of Palestine) or extremism vanished, but both returned to the realm of the exceptional remarkably swiftly.

So if you were really interested in what it would take for the United States to actually plunge into armed conflict, to be divided into warring camps and not just polarized blocs of voters, the lesson of 2020 is that you should be looking for some kind of rupture, some world-shaking external or internal force, as the necessary precondition.

Maybe a pandemic substantially worse than Covid, which prompts states to close their borders and splits the country much more completely and viciously than did the difference between, say, New York and Florida’s pandemic policies.

Maybe a great defeat in war and an economic crisis — China taking Taiwan, North Korea overrunning South Korea, the stock market melting down as the Pax Americana topples, a discredited establishment facing new forms of demagogy and revolt.

Maybe some radical technological development, out on the frontiers of A.I., that reshapes the contours of normal life and creates new moods of utopianism or desperation.

Maybe a true climate crisis, not just slowly rising temperatures but one of the “tail risk” scenarios for global disaster.

What I’m offering here are basically notes on the “Civil War” screenplay, suggestions for how it could have made its vision of war coming home seem more realistic. But they all involve something more than just an extension of current trends, a slightly heightened version of contemporary U.S. politics.

Could it happen here? Maybe. But something stranger than just Trump v. Biden, Round 2, would have to happen first.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , X and Threads .

Ross Douthat has been an Opinion columnist for The Times since 2009. He is the author, most recently, of “The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery.” @ DouthatNYT • Facebook

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.