Elim

Elim, a desert oasis where the Israelites camped during their journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai.

Elim was a place in the Sinai wilderness where the Israelites camped during their journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai. It was the second encampment after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 15:27). Elim is described as having twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, providing a refreshing oasis for the weary travelers.

The Israelites arrived at Elim after traveling three days in the wilderness without finding water (Exodus 15:22-26). At Marah, they complained about the bitter water, but God instructed Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water, making it sweet. Elim's abundant water and shade would have been a welcome relief after this trial.

Elim is also mentioned in the list of Israel's journey stages in Numbers 33:9-10. They camped there before setting out into the Wilderness of Sin, where God provided manna and quail for their hunger. The location of Elim is uncertain but is thought to be in the southwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula.

Trees, (Ex. 15:27; Num. 33:9), the name of the second station where the Israelites encamped after crossing the Red Sea. It had “twelve wells of water and threescore and ten palm trees.” It has been identified with the Wady Ghurundel, the most noted of the four wadies which descend from the range of et-Tih towards the sea. Here they probably remained some considerable time. The form of expression in Ex. 16:1 seems to imply that the people proceeded in detachments or companies from Elim, and only for the first time were assembled as a complete host when they reached the wilderness of Sin (q.v.).