there's a footnote at the beginning of Exodus 13:17 ("the departure of the Israelites) which reads:

"the route taken by the exodus and the precise stages of the jouney are extremely difficult to determine. v. 17 notwithstanding* a certain number of names tend to indicate a northern route, that is to say, through 'the Philistines' territory' (which term, however, is an anachronism). there would seem to be traces of two literary traditions here, preserving the memory of two historic facts, the duplicate itineraries corresponding to the exodus of two distinct groups"


*Exodus 13:17 reads: "When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not let them take the road to the Philistines' territory, although that was the shortest 'in case', God thought, 'the prospect of fighting makes the people a roundabout way through the desert of the Sea of Reeds."

there are additional footnotes within that passage...I'll post those if you're interested.

_________________________________________________________
*moment of silence for all those lost & those yet to be found*

~~~~
http://omidele.blogspot.com/
http://rahareiki.tumblr.com/
http://seatofbliss.blogspot.com/