The land of Goshen holds a significant place in biblical history, particularly in the narrative of the Hebrew people's sojourn in Egypt. This article explores the location of Goshen, its distance from other key areas in Egypt, and its role in the events of the Exodus. The land of Goshen (Hebrew: אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, ʾEreṣ Gōšen) is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the area in Egypt that was allotted to the Hebrews by the Pharaoh during the time of Joseph.
Map of the Nile Delta with Goshen
Biblical Occurrences of Goshen
The land of Goshen is mentioned in the biblical books of Genesis and Exodus.
- Genesis 45:10: You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near to me, you, your children, your children's children, your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.
- Genesis 46:28: He sent Judah before him to Joseph, to show the way before him to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.
- Genesis 47:6: The land of Egypt is before you. Make your father and your brothers dwell in the best of the land. Let them dwell in the land of Goshen. If you know any able men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.
- Genesis 47:27: Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got themselves possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
- Exodus 8:22: I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end you may know that I am Yahweh in the midst of the earth.
- Exodus 9:26: Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.
Geographical Location of Goshen
It is generally agreed that Goshen was the region East of the Bubastic branch of the Nile. In Psalm 78:12, 43, it seems to be clearly identified with the "field (or pastoral plain) of Zoan," which was probably also the "land of Rameses" mentioned (Genesis 47:11) as possessed by Jacob's family. The region thus very clearly indicated was not of any great extent, having an area of only about 900 square miles, including two very different districts.
The western half, immediately East of the Bubastic branch of the Nile, stretches from Zoan to Bubastis (at both of which cities records of the Hyksos ruler Apepi have been found), or a distance of about 35 miles North and South. This region is an irrigated plain which is still considered to include some of the best land in Egypt. The region narrows from about 15 miles near the seashore to about 10 miles between Zagazig and Tell el Kebir on the Southeast of this, a sandy and gravelly desert lies between the Nile plain and the Suez Canal, broadening southward from near Daphnai (Tell Defeneh) to Wady Tumeilat, where it is 40 miles across East and West.
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In 1885, Édouard Naville identified Goshen as the 20th nome of Egypt, located in the eastern Delta, and known as "Gesem" or "Kesem" during the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt (672-525 BCE).
Goshen's Significance
Goshen is promised by Joseph to Jacob as a land fit for flocks. Goshen included pastoral lands (Genesis 46:34; Genesis 47:1, 4, 6, 27; 50:8) and was still inhabited by the Hebrews at the time of the Exodus (Exodus 8:22; Exodus 9:26), after which it is unnoticed in the Old Testament.
The description of the land of Rameses, in the 14th century B.C., shows its fertility; and Silvia says that the land of Goshen was 16 miles from Heroopolis, and that she traveled for two days in it "through vineyards, and balsam plantations, and orchards, and tilled fields, and gardens."
Moses, Exodus Route from Egypt, Red Sea Crossing, Mt. Sinai Location in Arabia, Ten Commandments
The Exodus Route and the Red Sea Crossing
The Suez finger of the Red Sea is about 72 miles (116 km.) south of Goshen (place where the Israelites lived and departed Egypt). It has been generally believed for many years that the Israelites crossed the Suez finger of the Red Sea just east of Cairo, Egypt. It should be noted that over the years, no archaeological evidence has supported this Red Sea crossing location.
The Exodus, Red Sea Crossing, & Mt. Sinai are very important events in the Bible. These verses clearly reveal that the Israelites walked a long way traveling both day and night through a wilderness before crossing the Red Sea.
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Exodus 13:18-22: Hence, God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt. 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” 20 Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
Because the miracle of the Red Sea crossing happened several days after the Exodus, it couldn’t have happened at the Suez finger of the Red Sea because Goshen is just 20 miles (32 km.) from the sea, a distance of just a few hours walk. Scripture also says that there were no feeble ones among them and that God carried them supernaturally on eagle’s wings during their exodus.
There has been found in the Aqaba finger of the Red Sea at Nuweiba Beach amazing evidence of coral growth on objects that look like old chariot wheels, axles, etc. Coral doesn’t grow in sandy areas and must have some object to grow on. The maximum depth of the ocean floor at this crossing place is about 2,500 ft. deep (762 m.).
Alternative Theories and Interpretations
Some scholars propose that the biblical placename is related to the lake gsm mentioned in Papyrus Anastasi IV. The translation of the word Yam means sea, or large body of water, and Suph mainly means end, edge, shoreline, red, and a few times as reeds. However, the words Yam Suph together are mentioned 24 times in the Old Testament, with 7 of them referring to specific locations which are around the Aqaba finger of the Red Sea and not by Egypt. Therefore, the term Yam Suph does not only mean reeds and refer to the area east of Egypt.
The old waterway probably ranged in depth from 7 ft. adequate for ancient barges, but the embankments were 200 ft. much wider than necessary for the water traffic of that day.
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Here's a table summarizing key locations and their distances:
| Location | Distance from Goshen | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Suez finger of the Red Sea | 72 miles (116 km) south | Traditional location of Red Sea crossing |
| Zoan | Approx. 35 miles | Identified with the pastoral plain of Zoan |
| Heroopolis | 16 miles | Mentioned by Silvia as being near Goshen |
Ancient Egyptian Geography
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