Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims)
Palm-oasis springs on the Gulf of Aqaba offered as the twelve wells of Elim
Found 1984 — Ron Wyatt (1984) and Bob Cornuke (1988) drew on the local name 'Uyun Musa'; promoted by the Caldwells and the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation
Where Maqna (Magna), coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, about 235 km from Tabuk city (Saudi Arabia)
Dates from Springs active today; claim c. 1446 BCE · Natural springs with a long Islamic tradition tied to Musa · Marah and Elim on the way to Sinai (claimed)
Now at Site (public oasis and tourist stop, Saudi Arabia)
How Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims) was found
Local tradition already named the springs after Moses. Exodus proponents count the water sources and palms and match them to the twelve springs and seventy palms of Elim; brackish wells nearby are offered as Marah.
What it is
A cluster of freshwater springs bubbling up through sand in a valley of date palms a few kilometres inland from the coast. Saudi press describes six main spring holes; proponents count twelve. The well called Bir al-Sa'idani is locally linked to Musa watering Jethro's flocks.
Why it matters for the Bible
Exodus 15 lists Marah (bitter water) and Elim (twelve springs, seventy palms) between the sea and Sinai. If the crossing was at Nuweiba, Maqna is the first good water on the Arabian shore, so proponents call it Elim. Springs, palms and a Moses name are also found at Ayun Musa near Suez in Egypt, which the traditional route uses. Counting springs proves little: numbers change with rainfall and digging. The Islamic tradition here is about Musa in Midian (Exodus 2), not the Exodus march, and no archaeology dates a camp.
The Hebrew word: AH-yin
עַיִן
עַיִן is pronounced AH-yin and means spring, fountain (also 'eye'); the 'springs of water' at Elim (Strong's H5869).
People this discovery connects to
- Moses — מֹשֶׁה (moh-SHEH) — drawn out
Places
- Elim — אֵילִם (eh-LEEM) — great trees, terebinths
- Marah — מָרָה (mah-RAH) — bitter
Events
Camp at Elim with twelve springs and seventy palms (claimed location)
Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims) in Scripture
Exodus 15:23-25 Bitter water at Marah made sweet; nearby brackish wells are offered as Marah. (First mention of Elim.)
Exodus 15:27 Elim's twelve springs and seventy palms; the Maqna springs and palm groves are matched to this verse.
Questions people ask
What is Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims)?
A cluster of freshwater springs bubbling up through sand in a valley of date palms a few kilometres inland from the coast. Saudi press describes six main spring holes; proponents count twelve. The well called Bir al-Sa'idani is locally linked to Musa watering Jethro's flocks.
When was Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims) discovered?
It was found in 1984 by Ron Wyatt (1984) and Bob Cornuke (1988) drew on the local name 'Uyun Musa'; promoted by the Caldwells and the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, at Maqna (Magna), coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, about 235 km from Tabuk city.
Where is Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims) today?
Site (public oasis and tourist stop, Saudi Arabia).
Which Bible verses does Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims) relate to?
Exodus 15:23-25, Exodus 15:27.
Is Maqna 'Springs of Moses' (Arabian Elim and Marah claims) authentic?
A genuine oasis with a Moses tradition, but the Elim identification depends entirely on the Arabian route; no archaeological evidence for an Exodus camp.
Related discoveries
- צוּרThe 'Split Rock of Horeb' near Jabal MaqlaA giant cleft boulder in Saudi Arabia claimed as the rock Moshe struck
- מַצֵּבָהThe 'Altar of Moses' and 'Twelve Pillars' at Jabal al-LawzStone structure and column fragments at the mountain's foot, claimed from Exodus 24
- מַרAyun Musa (Springs of Moses) near SuezThe traditional Marah or Elim on the Egyptian shore of the Gulf of Suez
- חֹרֵבJebel al-Lawz (Arabian 'Mount Sinai' claim)A popular candidate in Saudi Arabia that specialists do not support
- גְּבוּלThe 'Boundary Markers' around Jabal al-LawzStone cairns claimed as the fence Moshe set around the mountain
- סִיןGabal Sin Bishar (Har-El's Mount Sinai)A low peak in western Sinai proposed by an Israeli geographer
Sources
- Saudi Gazette, 'Maqna, a charming coastal town, with springs flowing out of sands'
- Franz, 'Mount Sinai Is NOT Jebel al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia' (ABR)
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