Editing Crossing the Red Sea (section)

== Biblical narrative ==
[[File:National Library of Israel, Rothschild Haggadah 2862037 486117 tif1.jpg|alt=Crossing the Red Sea, Rothschild Haggadah, ca. 1450|thumb|''Crossing the Red Sea'', Rothschild Haggadah, ca. 1450]]
After the [[Plagues of Egypt]], the [[Pharaohs_in_the_Bible#In_the_Book_of_Exodus|Pharaoh]] agrees to let the Israelites go, and they travel from [[Pi-Ramesses|Ramesses]] to [[Sukkot (place)|Succoth]]. Ramesses is generally identified with modern [[Qantir]], the site of the [[19th dynasty]] capital [[Pi-Ramesses]], and Succoth with [[Tell el-Maskhuta]] in [[Wadi Tumilat]], the biblical [[Land of Goshen]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YzQe_4Waz34C&q=The+Land+That+I+Will+Show+You:+Essays+in+History+and+Archaeology+of+the+Ancient+Near+East|title=The Land that I Will Show You|last=Van Seters|first=John|publisher=Sheffield Academic Press|year=1997|isbn=978-1850756507|editor-last=Silberman|editor-first=Neil Ash|pages=270|chapter=The Geography of Exodus|via=Google Books}}</ref> From Succoth, the Israelites travel to [[Etham]] "on the edge of the desert", led by a [[pillar of cloud]] by day and a [[Pillar of Fire (theophany)|pillar of fire]] by night. There God tells Moses to turn back and camp by the sea at [[Pi-HaHiroth]], between [[Migdol]] and the sea, directly opposite [[Baal-zephon]]. None of these latter locations have been identified with certainty.

[[File:Aivazovsky Passage of the Jews through the Red Sea.jpg|thumb|''Passage of the Jews through the Red Sea'' (1891), by [[Ivan Aivazovsky]]]]
God causes the Pharaoh to pursue the Israelites with [[chariot]]s, and the pharaoh 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 and the Egyptians. At God's command, Moses held his Staff out over the water, water parted, and the Israelites walked through on dry land with a wall of water on either side (Exodus 14:21&22). The Egyptians pursued them, but at daybreak God clogged their chariot-wheels and threw them into a panic, and with the return of the water, the pharaoh and his entire army are destroyed.<ref>{{bibleverse||Psalm|136:15|31}}</ref> When the Israelites saw the power of God, they put their faith in God and in Moses, and sang a song of praise to the Lord for the crossing of the sea and the destruction of their enemies. (This song, at {{bibleverse|Exodus|15}}, is called the [[Song of the Sea]]).

According to Soggin's [[documentary hypothesis]], the narrative contains at least three and possibly four layers. In the first layer (the oldest), God blows the sea back with a strong east wind, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land; in the second, Moses stretches out his hand and the waters part in two walls; in the third, God clogs the chariot wheels of the Egyptians and they flee (in this version the Egyptians do not even enter the water); and in the fourth, the Song of the Sea, God casts the Egyptians into ''[[tehom]]ot'', the oceanic depths or mythical [[abyss (religion)|abyss]].<ref>Alberto Soggin, ''An Introduction to the History of Israel and Judah'', SCM Press, 1999, pp.136-7</ref>

=== In Islam ===
[[File:Bridgman Pharaoh's Army Engulfed by the Red Sea.jpg|thumb|''Pharaoh's army engulfed by the Red Sea'', by [[Frederick Arthur Bridgman]] (1900)]]
The incident of the Egyptian tyrant Pharaoh chasing down [[Moses in Islam|Moses]] and the Israelites, followed by the drowning in the sea, is mentioned in several places in the Quran. As per [[God in Islam|God]]'s command, Moses came to the court of [[Pharaoh in Islam|Pharaoh]] to warn him for his transgressions. Mūsā clearly manifested the proof of prophethood and claimed to let Israelites go with him.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Surah Ash-Shu'ara - 10-33|url=https://quran.com/26/10-33|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-11|website=quran.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711164718/https://quran.com/26/10-33 |archive-date=2021-07-11 }}</ref> The Magicians of Pharaoh's cities, whom he gathered to prove to the people that the person claiming to be prophet is a magician; eventually they all believed in Moses. This enraged Pharaoh. But he couldn't frighten them in any way.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Surah Ash-Shu'ara - 34-51|url=https://quran.com/26/34-51|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-11|website=quran.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711164502/https://quran.com/26/34-51 |archive-date=2021-07-11 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Surah Taha - 70-73|url=https://quran.com/20/70-73|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-05|website=quran.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414104537/https://www.quran.com/20/70-73 |archive-date=2021-04-14 }}</ref> Later they were pursued by Pharaoh and his army at sunrise. But God revealed to Moses beforehand to leave with His servants at night, for they will be pursued. The [[Quran]]ic account about the moment:
{{Blockquote|text=When the two groups came face to face, the companions of Moses cried out, “We are overtaken for sure.” [Moses] said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me." So We inspired Moses: “Strike the sea with your staff,” and the sea was split, each part was like a huge mountain.|author=Quran 26:61-63}}

Miraculously, God divided the waters of the sea leaving a dry path in the middle,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Surah Taha - 77|url=https://quran.com/20/77|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-05|website=quran.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427054610/http://www.quran.com:80/20/77 |archive-date=2009-04-27 }}</ref> which the Children of Israel immediately followed. Pharaoh and his soldiers went so audacious as to chase the Children of Israel into the sea. Nevertheless, this miracle did not suffice to convince Pharaoh. Together with his soldiers who took him as a deity<ref>{{Cite web|title=Surah An-Nazi'at - 24|url=https://quran.com/79/24|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-05|website=quran.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090519041052/http://www.quran.com:80/79/24 |archive-date=2009-05-19 }}</ref> (by obeying him against the prophet of God), he blindly entered the path that divided the sea. However, after the Children of Israel had safely crossed to the other side, the waters suddenly began to close in on Pharaoh and his soldiers and they all drowned. Though, at the last moment Pharaoh tried to repent but [[Jibreel]] put mud in his mouth<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jibreel put mud in Pharaohs mouth at command of Allah |url=https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/337408/jibreel-put-mud-in-pharaohs-mouth-at-command-of-allah |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418084822/https://www.islamweb.net/en/fatwa/337408/jibreel-put-mud-in-pharaohs-mouth-at-command-of-allah |archive-date=18 April 2023 |access-date=18 April 2023}}</ref> and his repentance was not accepted:

{{Blockquote|text=We brought the tribe of Israel across the sea and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he (Pharaoh) said, "I believe that there is no god but Him in Whom the tribe of Israel believe. I am one of the Muslims (those who submit to God’s will)." What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? Today We will preserve your body so you can be a Sign for people who come after you. Surely many people are heedless of Our Signs.|author=Quran 10:90-92}}

===Legacy===
[[File:Red sea passage.jpg|thumb|''The Passage of the Red Sea'' [[Armenian illuminated manuscripts|Manuscript]] by [[Toros Roslin]], 1266]]
[[File:Чермное.jpg|thumb|''Crossing the Red Sea'', a wall painting from the 1640s in [[Yaroslavl]], Russia]]
The theme of Moses crossing the Red Sea was taken up by the [[Panegyric|panegyrists]] of [[Constantine the Great]] and applied to the [[battle of the Milvian Bridge]] (312).{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} The theme enjoyed a vogue during the fourth century on carved [[Sarcophagus|sarcophagi]]: at least twenty-nine have survived in full or in fragments.<ref>Paul Stephenson, ''Constantine, Roman Emperor, Christian victor'', 2010:209f.</ref> [[Eusebius of Caesarea]] cast [[Maxentius]], drowned in the [[Tiber]], in the role of Pharaoh, both in his ''[[Church History (Eusebius)|Ecclesiastical History]]'' and in his eulogistic ''Life of Constantine''.<ref>Eusebius, ''HE'' ix.9, ''Vita Constantini'' i.38.</ref>

Every year, Muslims fast two days in the month of [[Muharram]] commemorating the event.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Significance of 'Ashura Throughout Human History {{!}} Muslim Hands UK|url=https://muslimhands.org.uk/latest/2020/08/the-significance-of-ashura-throughout-human-history|access-date=2021-08-28|website=muslimhands.org.uk|date=27 August 2020 }}</ref>