Perhaps the most famous miracle described in the book of Exodus is that of the parting of the Red Sea as Moses led the Israelites to safety away from their Egyptian oppressors. Biblical scholars have long known that the most likely location for this miracle was not the Red Sea, but rather a nearby spot in the Nile Delta region known as the Reed Sea.
Now scientists have shown that this dramatic episode is by no means in contravention of natural physical laws, and they have depicted how it actually could have happened.
The Biblical account describes how a mighty east wind blew all night, eventually splitting the waters to leave a safe passage way through to the other side. The Israelites successfully made their escape but when the Egyptians tried to follow on their chariots, the walls of water on either side came crashing back down and drowned them.
Researchers began with a careful analysis of archaeological records, satellite measurements and maps which enabled them to accurately predict the water flow and depth of the crossing-over site 3,000 years ago.
An ocean computer model was then used to simulate the influence that an overnight wind might have on the 1.81 metre deep waters. The team of scientists discovered that an east wind of approximately 63mph blowing for 12 hours would indeed have driven the waters back, both into the nearby lake and the river channel. This would have resulted in a land bridge right through the middle of the water. The bridge would have remained in place for a period of four hours.
Immediately after the winds dropped, the waters would have poured back into place, much like a tidal bore and anyone trapped in the middle would have risked drowning, especially if they were encumbered by heavy armour and weapons.
These findings were reported yesterday in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.
Lead researcher Carl Drews, from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, said: "The simulations match fairly closely with the account in Exodus.
"The parting of the waters can be understood through fluid dynamics. The wind moves the water in a way that's in accordance with physical laws, creating a safe passage with water on two sides and then abruptly allowing the water to rush back in.
"People have always been fascinated by this Exodus story, wondering if it comes from historical facts. What this study shows is that the description of the waters parting indeed has a basis in physical laws."