Stations list
Encyclopedia
The Bible
lists 42 locations or "stations" visited by the Israelite
s following their exodus from Egypt
. They are definitively listed in , but also are given at length in Exodus and Deuteronomy
. Biblical commentators like St Jerome
in his Epistle to Fabiola, Bede
and St Peter Damian
discussed them according to the Hebrew
meanings of their names. Dante
models the 42 chapters of the Vita Nuova
on them.
Under the documentary hypothesis
, the list is believed to have originally been a distinct and separate source text. In this hypothesis, it is believed that the redactor, in combining the Torah
's sources, used parts of the Stations list to fill out awkward joins between the main sources. The list records the locations visited by the Israelites, during their journey through the wilderness, after having left Egypt
. Consequently, the parts which were inserted to join up the sources appear in suitable locations in the Book of Exodus and the Book of Numbers
.
However, a slightly variant version of the list appears in full at Numbers 33, and several parts of the journey described in the full list, most noticeably the journey from Sinai
to Zin
, do not appear in the fragmented version. It is tempting to suggest that the journey from Sinai to Zin was cut out of the fragmented version due to a copying error caused by the similarity in sound of "Sinai" and "Zin". However, as there are 42 locations in the full list, and the Israelites were said to have been in the desert for 40 years, it is possible that several locations in the full list were added to the list of destinations as a literary device.
Both versions of the list contain several brief narrative
fragments. For example "...And they came to Elim
, where there were twelve wells of water, and seventy date-palms...". It is the matter of some debate as to how much of the narrative is part of the original text of the list, and how much is extra detail added into it by the redactor.
The situation also occurs in reverse, where some brief texts, within parts of the list, and ascribed to the redactor, are usually regarded as not being part of the list of stations, albeit without much conviction. This is particularly true for , which references unknown events in the lost Book of the Wars of the Lord
, and , describing the digging of the well at Beer.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
lists 42 locations or "stations" visited by the Israelite
Israelite
According to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
s following their exodus from Egypt
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
. They are definitively listed in , but also are given at length in Exodus and Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy
The Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
. Biblical commentators like St Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
in his Epistle to Fabiola, Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
and St Peter Damian
Peter Damian
Saint Peter Damian, O.S.B. was a reforming monk in the circle of Pope Gregory VII and a cardinal. In 1823, he was declared a Doctor of the Church...
discussed them according to the Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
meanings of their names. Dante
DANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
models the 42 chapters of the Vita Nuova
Vita Nuova
Vita Nuova Holdings Ltd is a British company based in York that provides technology for embedded systems and distributed applications based upon the unique operating system Inferno. It also distributes the Plan 9 operating system....
on them.
Under the documentary hypothesis
Documentary hypothesis
The documentary hypothesis , holds that the Pentateuch was derived from originally independent, parallel and complete narratives, which were subsequently combined into the current form by a series of redactors...
, the list is believed to have originally been a distinct and separate source text. In this hypothesis, it is believed that the redactor, in combining the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
's sources, used parts of the Stations list to fill out awkward joins between the main sources. The list records the locations visited by the Israelites, during their journey through the wilderness, after having left Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Consequently, the parts which were inserted to join up the sources appear in suitable locations in the Book of Exodus and the Book of Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
.
However, a slightly variant version of the list appears in full at Numbers 33, and several parts of the journey described in the full list, most noticeably the journey from Sinai
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
to Zin
Zin Desert
thumb|250px|The Wilderness is in the southThe Wilderness of Zin/Desert of Zin is a geographic area mentioned by the Torah as containing Kadesh-Barnea within it; and it is therefore also referred to as the "Wilderness of Kadesh"...
, do not appear in the fragmented version. It is tempting to suggest that the journey from Sinai to Zin was cut out of the fragmented version due to a copying error caused by the similarity in sound of "Sinai" and "Zin". However, as there are 42 locations in the full list, and the Israelites were said to have been in the desert for 40 years, it is possible that several locations in the full list were added to the list of destinations as a literary device.
Both versions of the list contain several brief narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
fragments. For example "...And they came to Elim
Elim
- Location :* Elim , a biblical placein Australia* Elim Aboriginal Mission, Queenslandin Namibia* Elim, Namibia, a village in the north-east of the country* Elim Constituency, a constituency in the north-east of the country...
, where there were twelve wells of water, and seventy date-palms...". It is the matter of some debate as to how much of the narrative is part of the original text of the list, and how much is extra detail added into it by the redactor.
The situation also occurs in reverse, where some brief texts, within parts of the list, and ascribed to the redactor, are usually regarded as not being part of the list of stations, albeit without much conviction. This is particularly true for , which references unknown events in the lost Book of the Wars of the Lord
Book of the Wars of the Lord
The Book of the Wars of the is one of several non-canonical books referenced in the Bible which have now been completely lost. It is mentioned in , which reads: "From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the desert and bounding the Amorite territory. For Arnon...
, and , describing the digging of the well at Beer.
List of the Stations of the Exodus
| Station | Biblical Reference | Description | Modern Location |
| Raamses | Ex. 12:37; Nu. 33:3,5 | the Raamses district was of the highest quality land in Egypt (Ge. 47:11) | Pi-Ramesses: i.e. Tell ed-Dab'a/Qantir |
| Sukkoth Sukkot (place) The name Sukkot appears in a number of places in the Hebrew Bible as a location:* An Egyptian Sukkot is the second of the stations of the Exodus. Pharaoh orders the Israelites to leave Egypt, and they journey from their starting point at Rameses to Succoth... |
Ex. 12:37, 13:20; Nu. 33:5-6 | An Egyptian city near the border | Tjeku (Zuko), Tell el Maskhuta |
| Etham Etham Etham was the second place at which the Israelites stopped during the Exodus. According to the Torah, Etham was on the edge of the wilderness . It has been suggested that Etham is another name for Khetam, or fortress, on the Shur or great wall of Egypt, which extended from the Mediterranean Sea... |
Ex. 13:20; Nu. 33:6-8 | "on the edge of the wilderness" | Ismailia Ismaïlia -Notable natives:*Osman Ahmed Osman, a famous and influential Egyptian engineer, contractor, entrepreneur, and politician, was born in this town on 6 April 1917.... ? |
| Pi-Hahiroth Pi-hahiroth Pi-hahiroth is the fourth station of the Exodus. The fifth and sixth stations Marah and Elim Thebes Red Sea Port, are located on the Red Sea. The biblical books Exodus and Numeri refer to Pi-hahiroth as the place where the Israelites encamped between Baal-zephon and Migdol while awaiting an attack... |
Ex. 14:2-3; Nu. 33:7-8 | lit. Mouth of the Gorges, "between Migdol and the sea, opposite Ba'al-Zephon" (possibly "the Bay of Hiroth") | Prob. a channel opening into one of the Bitter Lakes or the Mediterranean |
| Marah Marah (Bible) Marah is one of the locations which the Torah identifies as having been travelled through by the Israelites, during the Exodus.The liberated Israelites set out on their journey in the desert, somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula... |
Ex. 15:23; Nu. 33:8-9 | lit. 'bitterness' | 30 kilometres north of As Suways (the port of Suez Suez Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities... )? |
| Elim Elim (Bible) Elim was one of the places where the Israelites camped following their Exodus from Egypt. It is referenced in Exodus 15.27 and Numbers 33.9 as a place where "there were twelve wells of water, and seventy date palms," and that the Israelites "camped there near the water".From the information that... |
Ex. 15:27, 16:1; Nu. 33:9-10 | Had 12 wells and 70 palm trees | ? |
| By the Red Sea Red Sea - Exodus station The Red Sea station is an unverified station claimed to be near the Red Sea. It is stated in the Book of Exodus that the Israelites encamped at the Red Sea following their stay at Elim.... |
Nu. 33:10-11 | - - | near Gulf of Suez or Gulf of Aqaba |
| Sin Wilderness | Ex. 16:1, 17:1; Nu. 33:11-12 | God supplies quail and manna, "Between Elim and Sinai" | ? |
| Dophkah Dophkah Dophkah dbq.is one of the places the Israelites camped at during their Exodus from Egypt, and was one of the 12 camp sites engaged in the manufacturah at Timnah of copper artifacts which were traded at the Phoenician emporia at Elat along with Frankincense, and Myrrh, from Punt and Bitumen and... |
Nu. 33:12-13 | - - | - - |
| Alush Alush Alush was one of the places, the last before Rephidim, at which the Israelites rested on their way to Mount Sinai . It was probably situated on the shore of the Red Sea. It means a crowd of men. A particular event that occurred here was the story in the Exodus where water flowed from a rock.... |
Nu. 33:13-14 | - - | - - |
| Rephidim Rephidim Rephidim was one of the places visited by the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt.The Israelites had come from the wilderness of Sin. At Rephidim, the Israelites found no water to drink, and in their distress they blamed Moses for their troubles, to the point where Moses feared that they... |
Ex. 17:1, 19:2; Nu. 33:14-15 | - - | ? |
| Sinai Wilderness | Ex. 19:1-2; Nu. 10:12, 33:15-16 | - - | ? |
| Kibroth-Hattaavah Kibroth Hattaavah Kibroth-hattaavah is one of the locations at which, according to the Book of Numbers, the Israelites passed through during their Exodus journey... |
Nu. 11:35, 33:16-17 | lit. Graves of Longing or Graves of Lust | - - |
| Hazeroth Hazeroth Hazeroth is one of the locations that the Israelites stopped at during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness. It is referenced in the Torah in Numbers, chapters 11, 12 and 33, as well as in Deuteronomy, chapter 1. "Hazeroth" means yards.At Hazeroth, Miriam was afflicted with tzaraath... |
Nu. 11:35, 12:16, 33:17-18 | - - | - - |
| Rithmah Rithmah Rithmah is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus.The name may mean wild broom, the broom valley, or valley of broombushes.... |
Nu. 33:18-19 | - - | - - |
| Rimmon-Perez Rimmon Perez Rimmon Perez or Rimmon-Parez is one of the stations of the Israelites in the wilderness during the Exodus.The name means a pomegranate breach, or Rimmon of the breach.... |
Nu. 33:19-20 | - - | - - |
| Libnah Libnah Libnah or Lobna was a town in the Kingdom of Judah. The town of Libnah revolted during the reign of King Jehoram of Judah, according to II Chronicles , because he "had abandoned [the] God of his fathers."... |
Nu. 33:20-21 | - - | - - |
| Rissah Rissah Rissah is one of the places or stations of the Exodus. These are the places the Sons of Israel or Israelites were said to have stopped at during the Exodus presented in a sequence which gives the route.... |
Nu. 33:21-22 | - - | - - |
| Kehelathah Kehelathah Kehelathah ke-he-la'-tha, ke-hel'-a-tha , the place of gathering antimony. A desert camp of the Israelites between Rissah and Mt. Shepher .-Footnotes:Hebrew language|Hebrew]]: קְהֵלָתָה)... |
Nu. 33:22-23 | - - | - - |
| Mount Shapher Mount Shapher Mount Shapher is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus. The name Shapher means "brightness".- References :... |
Nu. 33:23-24 | - - | - - |
| Haradah Haradah Haradah is one of the stops of the Israelites during the Exodus. Its name means fright or fearful.... |
Nu. 33:24-25 | - - | - - |
| Makheloth Makheloth Makheloth is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus. The name means assemblies.... |
Nu. 33:25-26 | - - | - - |
| Tahath Tahath Tahath is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus. It is referenced in Numbers 33: 26, 27. Its name means below. It is also a character reference in 1 Chronicles 6:24 as the son of Assir and the father of Uriel, Also a descendant of Ephraim in 1 Chronicles 7:20.... |
Nu. 33:26-27 | - - | - - |
| Tarah Terah (Exodus) Terah or Térach is a place mentioned in the Book of Numbers of the Hebrew Bible.It was a camping place of the Israelites during the Exodus, between Tahath and Mithkah.... |
Nu. 33:27-28 | - - | - - |
| Mithcah Mithcah Mithcah is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus. Its name means sweetness.... |
Nu. 33:28-29 | - - | - - |
| Hashmonah Hashmonah Hashmonah is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus.Its name may mean fatness.... |
Nu. 33:29-30 | - - | - - |
| Moseroth Moseroth Moseroth is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus. It may be the same as Moserah. Its name means bonds.... |
Nu. 33:30-31 | - - | - - |
| Bene-Jaakan Bene Jaakan Be'eroth Bene-Jaakan also known as Be'eroth or Bene-Jaakan, is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus.It means the wells of the children of Jaakan.... |
Nu. 33:31-32 | - - | - - |
| Hor Haggidgad Hor Haggidgad Hor Haggidgad is one of the stops of the Israelites on the Exodus journey. It is mentioned in Book of Numbers 33:32-33 as a place where the Israelites stopped during the Exodus, probably meaning 'cave of GidGad/GudGod'. it is called Gudgodah in Deuteronomy 10:7... |
Nu. 33:32-33 | - - | - - |
| Jotbathah Jotbathah Jotbathah or "Jotbath" is one of the stops of the Israelites on the Exodus journey.It name may mean goodness derived from the Hebrew Jatahh or Tubb, implying therefore Good, both Natural and Moral.... |
Nu. 33:33-34 | - - | - - |
| Abronah Abronah According to the Book of Numbers, Abronah , sometimes "Ebronah", is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus from Egypt, before Ezion-Geber. Its name means passage, and it is the passage from the mountains down to the sea overlooking Ezion Geber... |
Nu. 33:34-35 | - - | - - |
| Ezion-Geber Ezion-Geber Ezion-Geber or Asiongaber was a city of Idumea, a biblical seaport on the northern extremity of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the area of modern Aqaba and Eilat.-Biblical references :... |
Nu. 33:35-36 | - - | Near northern tip of Gulf of Aqaba |
| Kadesh Kadesh (South of Israel) Kadesh or Qadhesh in Classical , also known as Qadesh-Barneʿa , was a place in the south of Ancient Israel. The name "Kodesh" means holy. The name "Barnea" may mean desert of wandering... |
Nu. 20:1,22, 33:36-37 | Located in the Wilderness of Zin Zin Desert thumb|250px|The Wilderness is in the southThe Wilderness of Zin/Desert of Zin is a geographic area mentioned by the Torah as containing Kadesh-Barnea within it; and it is therefore also referred to as the "Wilderness of Kadesh"... ; Miriam's burial place |
probably Ain el Qadeis |
| Mount Hor Mount Hor Mount Hor is the name given in the Old Testament to two distinct mountains. One is in the Land of Edom on the East shore of the Dead Sea , the other by the Mediterranean Sea at the Northern border of the Land of Israel.-Mount Hor in Edom:This Mount Hor is situated "in the edge of the land of Edom"... |
Nu. 20:22, 21:4, 33:37-41 | On the Edom Edom Edom or Idumea was a historical region of the Southern Levant located south of Judea and the Dead Sea. It is mentioned in biblical records as a 1st millennium BC Iron Age kingdom of Edom, and in classical antiquity the cognate name Idumea was used to refer to a smaller area in the same region... ite border; Aaron Aaron In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites... 's burial place |
- - |
| Zalmonah Zalmonah Zalmonah was one of the places the Israelites stopped during the Exodus . Its name may mean shady.... |
Nu. 33:41-42 | - - | - - |
| Punon Punon Punon is an ancient city in the Arava, Jordan. It was a center of Copper and Iron mines in biblical times. Today it is called Feinan or Faynan.Punon was one of the places visited by the Israelites during the Exodus.... |
Nu. 33:42-43 | - - | - - |
| Oboth Oboth Oboth is one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus.Its name may mean bottles.... |
Nu. 21:10-11, 33:43-44 | - - | - - |
| Abarim Ruins Iye Abarim Iye Abarim was one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus.The name means Ruins of Abarim.It is also called Ije-abarim, Iyim. It is "in the wilderness which is opposite Moab toward the sunrise."... |
Nu. 21:11, 33:44-45 | - - | - - |
| Dibon Gad Dhiban Dhiban is a Jordanian town located in Madaba Governorate, approximately 70 kilometers south of Amman and east of the Dead Sea. Previously nomadic, the modern community settled the town in the 1950s. Today, Dhiban is approximately 15000 members strong, with many working in the army, government... |
Nu. 33:45-46 | - - | - - |
| Almon Diblathaim Almon Diblathaim Almon Diblathaim was one of the places the Israelites stopped at during the Exodus. The name means Almon of the double cake of figs. It is located somewhere in Moab. It was possibly the same place as Beth-diblathaim of Jeremiah 48:22, mentioned in the oracle against Moab. Also called Diblath.... |
Nu. 33:46-47 | - - | - - |
| Abarim Mountains Abarim Abarim is a mountain range across Jordan, to the east and south-east of the Dead Sea, extending from Mount Nebo — its highest point — in the north, perhaps to the Arabian desert in the south... |
Nu. 33:13-14 | Israelites encamped beneath Mount Nebo Mount Nebo (Jordan) Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge that is approximately 817 meters above sea level, in what is now western Jordan. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy Land and, to the north, a more limited one of the valley of the River Jordan... |
- - |
| Moab Plains Moab Moab is the historical name for a mountainous strip of land in Jordan. The land lies alongside much of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. The existence of the Kingdom of Moab is attested to by numerous archeological findings, most notably the Mesha Stele, which describes the Moabite victory over... |
Nu. 22:1, 33:48-50 | Israelites encamped on the Jordan River from Beith Hayishimoth to Aveil Hashittim | Occupied most of the Trans-Jordan region |