Stations of the Exodus

[6] It is a matter of some debate as to how much of the narrative is part of the original text of the list, and how much is extra detail added into it by the redactor.

Some information may also have been drawn from other sources; Numbers 21 contains both an extract from the lost Book of the Wars of the Lord,[7] and the text of a song about the digging of a well at Beer.

Though most scholars concede that the narrative of the Exodus may have a historical basis,[9][10][11] the event in question would have borne little resemblance to the mass-emigration and subsequent forty years of desert nomadism described in the biblical account.

Another factor complicating the issue is that the narrative descriptions of many of the stations lack recognizable distinguishing features, or are very broadly defined.

Other locations central to the narrative, such as the Sea of Reeds, Mount Sinai, and Raamses, also lack positive identification, making it more difficult to plot a plausible map of the Israelites' journey.