Out into the wilderness
Exodus & Wilderness · Reviewed · BSB
Content revision: 0d34ff1a9079c816 · Editorial review: 2026-09-23
Date: c. 1446 BC · Year 1, after the Passover. Dated from 1 Kings 6:1, which places the Exodus 480 years before Solomon began the temple (c. 966 BC). Many scholars instead date the Exodus to about 1260 BC.
The people travel from Rameses to Succoth and then to Etham at the edge of the wilderness. A pillar of cloud by day and fire by night leads the way.
This card spans Succoth and the onward journey to Etham. Exodus 13 describes avoiding the Philistine road; the connecting line does not establish the road actually taken.
Primary Scripture
13:17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, though it was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
13:18 So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.
13:19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.”
13:20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
13:21 And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.
13:22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.
33:5 The Israelites set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth.
33:6 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.
33:7 They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon, and they camped near Migdol.
Related Scripture
Related teaching: Deuteronomy 1:32–33 recalls guidance by fire and cloud in a speech about the journey toward Kadesh. It does not name Succoth or Etham.
Deuteronomy 1:32–33 · teaching
Location evidence
Tell el Maskhuta is one proposed identification of Succoth. Etham is not plotted separately because its identification is uncertain.
Event map marker: Proposed site; [longitude, latitude] = [32.099, 30.5527]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.
Succoth: Proposed site. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [32.099, 30.5527]. Classification source: editorial.
OpenBible · site identifications
OpenBible · site identifications
For the class
What does God’s choice of a longer way reveal about his care?
Interpretation and reuse
Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.
Record source: editorial (src/data/journey.ts)
Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.
Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm