Crossing the Red Sea

“And lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it, and the children of Israel shall go into the midst of the sea on dry ground.”(Exodus 14:16)

“וְאַתָּה הָרֵם אֶת-מַטְּךָ, וּנְטֵה אֶת-יָדְךָ עַל-הַיָּם–וּבְקָעֵהוּ; וְיָבֹאוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, בַּיַּבָּשָׁה.”

The Crossing of the Red Sea, known as ” Kriat Yam Suph” (Hebrew:קריעת ים סוף) is a Biblical story describing the escape of the children of Israel from Pharaoh and Egypt.

According to the story, G-d chooses Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the promised land of Canaan.

The Egyptian Pharaoh agrees to their departure, and they travel from Ramesses to Succoth and then to Etham on the edge of the desert, led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

But G-d causes Pharaoh to pursue the Israelites with chariots, and he overtakes them at Pi-hahiroth. When the Israelites see the Egyptian army they are afraid, but the pillar of fire and the cloud separates the Israelites from the Egyptians. At G-d’s command Moses holds his staff out over the water, and throughout the night a strong east wind divides the sea, and the Israelites pass through with a wall of water on either side.

The Egyptians pursue, but G-d clogs their chariot-wheels and throws them into a panic, and with the return of the water Pharaoh and his entire army are destroyed. When the Israelites see the power of G-d they put their faith in Yahweh and in Moses and sing a song of praise to the Lord for the crossing of the sea and the destruction of their enemies.