Could the Israelites have survived for 40 years in the desert?

Throughout history, there have been many stories of survival, whether during a war, a long famine, or within one of the many religious books. When something happened so long ago it’s difficult to determine its accuracy, especially when there is no evidence to prove any of it. The only information we have of certain events often comes from a single source, such as the story of the Israelites surviving in the desert for 40 years after their escape from Egypt. Whether or not people agree with the religion itself, the story of desert survival can be looked at on its own, so could the Israelites have survived for 40 years in the desert or not?

What is the story of the 40 years of desert survival?

The Israelite people were living as slaves in Egypt sometime around the 13th or 15th century BCE, depending on historical interpretations. A Man called Moses freed the slaves and led the Israelites through a sea, believed to be the Red Sea, which was parted using God’s power and Moses led his people through. The sea collapsed on the pursuing Egyptian army and Moses and his followers were now free on the other side of the sea.

They traveled through the desert looking for a place called Canaan, a region believed to be made up of modern-day Israel, Palestine, and parts of Jordan. Upon reaching this fabled land, they were scared to enter due to the people who already lived there, and god punished them by making them wander the desert for 40 years for not having faith. The older generation who made the decision not to enter would die off in the desert and only the new generation would remain and enter into the holy land.

Where was this desert?

The story of them being stuck in the desert for 40 years is mentioned in 4 different religious texts, but all use place names long since lost to history. The general consensus is that they crossed over the Red Sea and onto the Arabian peninsula before walking northeast toward Modern-day Israel. After getting turned back, they headed south and spent the next 40 years walking somewhere around the desert in what is now known as Saudi Arabia.

How many people wandered the desert for 40 years?

The Book of Numbers claims there were 603,550 Israelite men over the age of 20 within the group, which would put the total number of all men, women, and children somewhere between 2.5 and 3 million people. Before the Israelites left Egypt, they were living as slaves and were also being chased out by the Egyptian army, which meant they took almost no supplies with them.

What did they eat and drink for 40 years?

Various passages from the religious texts that mention the 40-year stranding claim that God provided all the food and water they needed. They lived off something called Manna, which many have interpreted to mean bread from Heaven, Quails, and water that God made flow out of rocks.

Could 2.5 million people survive in the desert without magical food and water?

In no way, shape, or form would it be possible for that many people to survive in a completely undeveloped desert for that amount of time. Modern-day nations that have deserts also have modern-day transport, processing, and storage methods, which allow people to live in isolated communities but still access the things they need.

One of the major problems with only eating 2 types of food for 40 years is that everyone would die from scurvy, as bread and quail meat both contain zero vitamin C, not to mention a complete lack of many other essential nutrients.

In a real-world situation of 2.5 million people during the bronze age going into a desert, you would end up with 2.5 million dead bodies within a couple of months. Here are a few good examples of how hard it is for large groups of people to survive in a desert:

Napoleon’s Invasion of Egypt and Syria (1798–1801)

Napoleon’s expeditionary force faced severe hardships in the Sinai Desert and Libyan Desert, where heat, disease, and lack of supplies decimated large portions of his army. Though the campaign achieved some victories, the environmental toll was significant, with thousands of troops succumbing to the elements.

Crassus’ Roman Army at Carrhae (53 BCE)

The Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus led his legions into the desert near Carrhae (modern Harran, Turkey) to confront the Parthian Empire. Ill-prepared for the harsh environment and ambushed by the Parthian cavalry, his army suffered massive losses. Crassus was killed, and thousands of Roman soldiers were either slain or captured. While not entirely environmental, the desert conditions compounded their defeat.

The Persian Army of Cambyses II (525 BCE)

According to ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Cambyses II, the Persian king, sent an army of 50,000 men to conquer the Siwa Oasis in Egypt. The army reportedly got lost in the vast Western Desert (part of the Sahara) and was buried by a massive sandstorm. No trace of the army was ever found, making this one of history’s most mysterious desert catastrophes.