Meaning of RED SEA

The Hebrews called it “Yam sûph”, “sea of reeds”. The term gr. Literally translated as Red Sea is "Erythra Thatassa", used by Herodotus (2:8), the LXX (Ex. 15:4, 22) and Josephus (Ant. 2:11, 1; 15, 1). The origin of this name is unknown.

The Greeks derived it from that of Erythras, a fabulous king who was believed to have reigned over a country situated on this sea (Strabo, 16:3, 5; 4:20; Pliny, Nat. Hist. 6:23). Erythras would correspond to Edom, which in Heb. It means red people with copper skin: the Edomites and Phoenicians.

It is also assumed that the name may come from the coral banks that fill the bottom of this sea and are found along its coasts. Ancient geographers called the Red Sea not only the one known by this name today, but also the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The Red Sea of modern geographers measures about 2,400 km in length and about 240 km in width.

It borders to the north with the gulfs of Akaba and Suez, bathing the Sinai Peninsula on both coasts. The Gulf of Ákaba, to the east, is about 160 km long and 24 km wide. At its northern end is the modern Israelite port of Elat and the ruins of Ezion-geber, as well as the Jordanian port of Akaba.

The Gulf of Suez to the west of the peninsula measures 290 km long and 32 km wide. In ancient times it extended about 50 km further north, covering the Timsah and Amargos lakes. The banks of these two lakes are covered with reeds, which explains the Heb. name. "sea of reeds."

The Hebrew term. "Yam sûph" designates the sea east of Egypt (Ex. 19:19); The Israelites camped near the “sea of reeds,” not far from Sinai (Num. 33:10, 11). By taking the route of Yam sûph, that is, heading toward the Gulf of Akaba, Israel surrounded the territory of Edom (Num. 21:4). Ezion-geber, in the country of Edom, was on this sea (1 Kings 9:26).

The people, led by Moses, crossed the Yam sûph, where the Egyptian armies launched in pursuit of Israel disappeared. According to the repeated statements of the Scriptures, it is thought that the Israelites crossed this sea at the height of the Gulf of Suez, at the height of the current Bitter Lakes.

Navigation in the Red Sea always presents certain risks. The winds change direction abruptly, and often reach extraordinary strength. In ancient times, travel from one end of the Red Sea to the other was extremely difficult due to this fact.

In the northern part of this sea, the wind blows in a southerly direction for nine months of the year. In the southern part, the wind blows northward during the same period. The coral reefs and islands that exist in many places constitute another danger.