Moses did part the red sea but was helped out by natural phenomenon, say experts

MOSES PARTING THE RED SEA IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS STORIES IN THE BIBLE - AND NOW SCIENTISTS HAVE CLAIMED THAT THE EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A NATURAL PHENOMENON 07:41, 10 Jun

2025Updated 07:47, 10 Jun 2025 The biblical story of Moses parting the Red Sea, also known as 'Yam Suph' in Hebrew, is one of the most renowned tales from the Old Testament. It

recounts the prophet's journey as he leads the Israelites out of slavery during their exodus from Egypt. As told in the biblical narrative, Moses, guided by God, raises his staff over

the Red Sea, causing the waters to divide and allowing his people to cross on dry land. The pharaoh and his pursuing armies then meet their demise as the sea closes back together, engulfing

them. This event is documented in the Old Testament (Exodus 14: 19-31). According to the National Gallery in London: "When the Israelites reached the Red Sea, Moses stretched out his

hand and the waters divided, allowing his followers safe passage. The Egyptians followed them but God again commanded Moses to stretch out his hand and the sea engulfed the army." As

reported by the Irish Star, in the biblical account, after unleashing the seven plagues of Egypt, Moses leads the Israelites into the wilderness in search of the promised land. The fleeing

group finds themselves trapped between the advancing army of the Pharaoh on one side and the Red Sea on the other. Cinematic depictions, such as in 'The Ten Commandments' or

'The Prince of Egypt', show Moses commanding the waters of the Red Sea to open long enough for the Israelites to flee Egypt, painting a vivid picture on the big screen. Article

continues below But now boffins have come up with a theory that suggests Mother Nature might have had a hand in the Biblical account of Moses parting the Red Sea. They reckon the actual

miracle could've been the spot-on timing of the Israelites pegging it from Pharaoh’s army. As per the Daily Mail, boffins are backing their idea with computer simulations showing that

gusts clocking in at 62mph coming from the proper direction could blow open a whopping 5 km gap in the drink. And when those gusts let up, the sea would've smacked come back together,

swamping the poor old Egyptian army in a deluge like no other. Ocean expert Carl Drews said: "The crossing of the Red Sea is a supernatural phenomenon that incorporates a natural

component - the miracle is in the timing." Dr Bruce Parker, former head scientist of the NOAA, reckons the mighty prophet might've legged it out of Egypt using his knowledge of the

tides, and this tallies up neatly with the good book itself mentioning: "The Lord caused the sea to go by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea into dry and the waters

were divided." A few of the science experts believe this bit of scripture about a hefty gale could be the key to cracking the case of how Moses managed to cross the Red Sea. Dr Parker

penned a piece for the Wall Street Journal, dropping a bombshell about Moses' savvy local knowledge. He wrote: "Moses had lived in the nearby wilderness in his early years, and he

knew where caravans crossed the Red Sea at low tide. He knew the night sky and the ancient methods of predicting the tide, based on where the moon was overhead and how full it was." On

the flip side, the Pharaoh's men were clueless about the tides, getting caught off guard when the waters made a roaring comeback. One issue, however, is the direction of the breeze

mentioned in the Bible which is that it was a easterly wind. Professor Nathan Paldor, an ocean scientist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told MailOnline: "When a strong wind

blows southward from the head of Gulf for about one day, the water is pushed seawards, thus exposing the bottom that was previously underwater." The professor's calculations

theorise that a wind blowing between 65 and 70 kilometres per hour (40-45 mph) from the northwest could have made such a path for the Israelites in their escape from Egypt. Article continues

below A wind in the conditions mentioned blowing for an entire night could have pushed the waters of the sea back by up to a mile. It would also drop the sea level by about three metres and

allow the Israelites to move across the floor on an underwater ridge. In his initial research paper, Professor Paldor asserts that the original Hebrew phrase is 'Rauch kadim',

which could signify either a north-easterly or south-easterly direction. It's also possible that the accurate direction was misinterpreted during translation at some stage. There are

alternative theories suggesting the event took place in a different location, with some speculating it might have happened at the Lake of Tannis.