One of the most dramatic elements of the exodus from Egypt is the escape across the red Sea, when God apparently caused the waves to part to allow his people to flee before bringing them crashing in on the Pharaoh’s men.

So far no concrete evidence of this event has been located, but some commentators have claimed to have discovered chariot wheels in the Red Sea. Yet, many dispute that the artefacts are indeed chariots, and a chariot hub allegedly discovered in the 1980’s has mysteriously disappeared, and so cannot be verified.

Many scholars have also pointed out that the biblical passage may not actually refer to an area of sea at all. The original Hebrew phrase is 'yam suph' which is translated as 'Reed Sea.' And may actually refer to a marshy region north of the Gulf of Suez, which includes the ‘Bitter Lakes’ and Lake Timsah. The water level in that area is fairly variable and evaporation can cause it to drop sharply, exposing fingers of land which allow people to cross. In fact, that is exactly the route taken by the Israeli army during the Six-Day War 1967 (AD)!

The tale itself is an interesting parallel with a tale from the reign of Snefru (Old Kingdom). One of the royal ladies was distraught when she lost a charm while out on a pleasure boat on a lake. The king called for his magician (priest) who caused the water to part so that the charm could be retrieved.