Paran

Paran was a desert region in the Sinai Peninsula, associated with the Israelites' wanderings and the early life of Ishmael.

Paran was a desert region located in the Sinai Peninsula, south of Canaan. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, particularly in connection with the Israelites' wanderings after the Exodus from Egypt. Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, grew up in the wilderness of Paran after being sent away with his mother (Gen. 21:21). During the Israelites' journey from Egypt to Canaan, they camped in the wilderness of Paran after leaving the wilderness of Sinai (Num. 10:12; 12:16). It was from Paran that Moses sent the twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan (Num. 13:3, 26).

The wilderness of Paran was also associated with King David. After the death of Samuel, David went down to the wilderness of Paran (1Sam. 25:1). Later, when Hadad the Edomite fled from King Solomon, he passed through Paran on his way to Egypt (1Kgs. 11:18).

The exact boundaries of the wilderness of Paran are not clearly defined in the Bible, but it appears to have been a vast desert region in the central and northeastern parts of the Sinai Peninsula, bordered by the wilderness of Zin to the north and the Gulf of Aqaba to the south.

Abounding in foliage, or abounding in caverns, (Gen. 21:21), a desert tract forming the north-eastern division of the peninsula of Sinai, lying between the ‘Arabah on the east and the wilderness of Shur on the west. It is intersected in a north-western direction by the Wady el-‘Arish. It bears the modern name of Badiet et-Tih, i.e., “the desert of the wanderings.” This district, through which the children of Israel wandered, lay three days’ march from Sinai (Num. 10:12, 33). From Kadesh, in this wilderness, spies (q.v.) were sent to spy the land (13:3, 26). Here, long afterwards, David found refuge from Saul (1 Sam. 25:1, 4).