Rameses
The departure begins from Rameses. Qantir is a leading modern proposal, with Tell el-Dab‘a also significant in discussions of the Ramesside capital area.
Exodus 1:11; 12:37Biblical Maps • Exodus–Deuteronomy
The Exodus & Wilderness
Follow the biblical sequence from Egypt toward Sinai, Kadesh-barnea, Edom, Moab, and the plains east of the Jordan. This map deliberately refuses false precision: the sea crossing, several wilderness stops, the exact route, and the location of Mount Sinai remain disputed.
Accuracy note: Scripture gives a sequence of named places, but many of those names cannot be tied to one modern site with confidence. OpenBible’s geographic dataset lists multiple candidates for Rameses, Succoth, Etham, the Red Sea crossing area, and Mount Sinai. The map therefore uses proposed markers, a broad crossing zone, and a dashed schematic route rather than a single authoritative path.
Especially disputed: The Hebrew Yam Suph is traditionally rendered “Red Sea,” but modern geographic proposals for the Exodus crossing include several lakes and waterways in and around the eastern Nile Delta and Suez region, as well as other proposals farther away. Likewise, OpenBible lists fourteen proposed identifications for Mount Sinai; Jebel Musa is shown only as the traditional/leading proposal in that dataset, not as a settled fact.
Map key
What the symbols mean.
Stronger identification
A location with comparatively strong modern support, such as Kadesh-barnea at Ain el-Qudeirat.
Leading proposal
A useful teaching location that remains uncertain.
Highly disputed
No single modern identification should be treated as established.
Disputed zone
A broad area is shown instead of pretending we know one exact point.
Schematic route
Shows the biblical sequence only; it is not a verified ancient road.
Places to know
Read the route with appropriate caution.
Succoth
The first named stop after Rameses. Tell el-Maskhuta is one proposal, but the identification is low confidence.
Exodus 12:37; 13:20Etham
Israel camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. Modern proposals are weak and multiple.
Exodus 13:20; Numbers 33:6Sea Crossing
Scripture describes God bringing Israel through the sea, but the precise body of water and crossing point remain debated. The map shows a broad study zone, not a pin.
Exodus 14–15Marah
Ain Hawarah is a leading proposal in some geographic datasets, but the identification remains uncertain.
Exodus 15:23–25Elim
Wadi Gharandal is a commonly proposed location for Elim, again with less certainty than later anchors such as Kadesh-barnea.
Exodus 15:27Mount Sinai / Horeb
Jebel Musa is the traditional and leading proposal in the OpenBible dataset, but it is only one among many proposed locations.
Exodus 19–34Kadesh-barnea
Ain el-Qudeirat is the strongest identification on this map and became a major staging point in Israel’s wilderness story.
Numbers 13:26; 20:1; Deuteronomy 1:46Edom & Moab
The later wilderness movement involved the territories east and southeast of the Dead Sea. These are shown as broad regions because the exact itinerary through every stage cannot be mapped with certainty.
Numbers 20–21; Deuteronomy 2Plains of Moab
The Torah closes with Israel east of the Jordan opposite Jericho, poised to enter the land.
Numbers 22:1; Deuteronomy 34:1–8Reference approach
Why this map looks different from many Exodus maps.
This NLDG map prioritizes honesty over a visually neat route. Rameses is represented by Qantir as a leading proposal; Succoth and Etham are marked as low-confidence proposals; the crossing is shown as a broad disputed zone; Jebel Musa is labeled as one proposed Sinai location; and Kadesh-barnea is anchored at Ain el-Qudeirat, which carries substantially stronger modern support. The route lines are intentionally dashed throughout.