Wandering in the wilderness in Biblical History

Bible History

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

What is the Wandering in the Wilderness?
        WANDERING IN THE WILDERNESS
        the region in which the Israelites spent forty years,
         between Egypt and Canaan. It is called sometimes the "great and
         terrible wilderness" by way of eminence. Deut 1:1; Zech 8:2; Josh 5:6;
         Neh 9:19, 2 Chr 11:21; Ps 78:40, 2 Kgs 5:52; Ps 107:4; Jer 2:2. In
         general, it may be identified with the great peninsula of Sinai, the
         triangular region between the Gulf of Akabah, Seir, and Edom on the
         east, and the Gulf of Suez and Egypt on the west. See Sinai. In this
         region there are several smaller wildernesses, as Etham, Paran, Shir,
         Zin, which see. What is known distinctively as the "wilderness of the
         Wandering," Badiet et-Tih, is the great central limestone plateau
         between the granite region of Sinai on the south, the sandy desert on
         the north, and the valley of the Arabah on the east. The explorations
         of travellers and the British Ordnance Survey have made this region
         quite well known.

         The route of the Israelites from Egypt to Kadesh can be traced with
         reasonable accuracy. Instead of entering the Promised Land immediately
         from Kadesh, they were driven back into the wilderness for their
         disobedience, and there wandered for forty years. It need not be
         supposed that they were continually on the move or that they were
         unable to find their way. They probably lived a nomad life, as do the
         Bedouin Arabs of the present day, moving from place to place and
         pitching their tents wherever they could find pasture for their flocks.
         Some of the stations named cannot be identified, though the line of
         march may be traced until they left the wilderness and advanced toward
         the Promised Land by Mount Seir and Edom. See Map at end of book.

         It is said of those composing the British Survey: "Not a single member
         of the expedition returned home without feeling more firmly convinced
         than ever of the truth of that sacred history which he found
         illustrated and confirmed by the natural features of the desert. The
         mountains and valleys, the very rocks, barren and sun-scorched as they
         now are, only seem to furnish evidence which none who behold them can
         gainsay that this was that 'great and terrible wilderness' through
         which Moses, under God's direction, led his people." - Recovery of
         Jerusalem, p. 429. (See also Palmer's Desert of the Exodus.) See Sinai,
         Exodus, Judaea, Wilderness of.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'wandering in the wilderness' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
bible-history.com - Schaff's

Copyright Information
© Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Schaff's Bible Dictionary Home
Bible History Online Home

Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Online Bible (KJV)
Naves Topical Bible
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Hitchcock's Bible Dictionary

Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Popular in the New Testament

Popular in the
New Testament