The book of Numbers recounts the years that the Israelite spent between their arrival at Kadesh-barnea after
the exodus, to the time they assembled at Mt Nebo on the Plains of Moab, poised to conquer Canaan. The P and JE
sources differ as to where the Israelites spent their 40 years. Most of Numbers is attributed to the P source,
which locates the Israelites' lengthy misery in the northern Sinai, the wilderness of Zin,
near Kadesh-barnea. That would be due south of Canaan. The J and E fragments in Numbers say the
Israelites stayed a short time at Kadesh-barnea, and spent their 40 years in the desert regions of Edom and Moab,
east of the Dead Sea, and due east of Canaan.
The Wanderings in the Wilderness
The wanderings in the Wilderness, showing possible routes.
