Introduction
The survival of the Israelites during and after the Exodus depended on access to vast amounts of fresh water. With over 3 million people traveling on foot, plus livestock, the need for reliable water sources was not just a challenge, it was a necessity. This article explores why modern Jerusalem could never have been the true biblical location, as it lacks the natural water resources necessary to sustain such a large population. Furthermore, the land of modern Jerusalem was already arid, making it an inhospitable and unsustainable environment long before the Israelites could have arrived, which further invalidates it as the location of biblical Jerusalem.
1. Water Needs of the Israelites
For a population exceeding 3 million people, the daily water requirements were massive:
Survival level (1 gallon per person per day): 3 million gallons per day
Normal activity (2-3 gallons per person per day): 6-9 million gallons per day
Livestock and agriculture water needs: millions more gallons per day
With this volume of water needed every day, the Israelites could only survive in a land with a vast, sustainable water supply.
2. The Nile River Was Their Primary Water Source Upon Leaving Egypt
The Nile River and the Blue Nile in Ethiopia were the only major water sources capable of sustaining them as they departed from Egypt.
Once they moved away from these rivers, finding fresh water became a priority, leading to Moses striking the rock (Exodus 17:6, Numbers 20:11).
The fact that they needed miraculous intervention proves that they entered an area where natural water sources were less reliable, not necessarily a vast desert, but a region where permanent water sources were not as abundant.
3. Could Modern Jerusalem Have Provided Enough Water?
The answer is a firm no; modern Jerusalem has never had the water capacity to support millions of people.
The Gihon Spring, the main natural water source, only produces about 100,000-200,000 gallons per day, far below the millions of gallons required.
There are no major rivers or lakes in or around modern Jerusalem.
Even today, Israel has to pump water from other areas to sustain its population.
Historical records indicate that the land of modern Jerusalem has long been arid, further proving that it could not have sustained a large population.
4. Moses Striking the Rock: A Temporary Miracle, Not a Sustainable Solution
When Moses struck the rock, it provided water for the moment, but this was not a continuous, permanent supply.
If the land could sustain them naturally, there would have been no need for multiple miracles.
Their struggle to find water began after they left the immediate reach of the Nile and Blue Nile, proving that they moved into a region where natural water sources were less accessible.
5. Could the Sea of Galilee Have Provided Enough Water?
Some argue that the Sea of Galilee (a freshwater lake) could have supplied the Israelites, but this is also impossible:
The Sea of Galilee is only 64 square miles and cannot produce millions of gallons daily without quickly depleting.
Evaporation and seasonal droughts reduce its reliability.
Even today, modern Israel has struggled to keep it from drying up.
If millions of Israelites relied on this single source, it would have dried up completely.
6. Ethiopia and the Nile: The Only Logical Location for Biblical Jerusalem
Unlike modern Jerusalem, Ethiopia has abundant, naturally replenishing water sources:
The Nile River
The Blue Nile (originating in Ethiopia)
Lake Tana
Other major rivers and underground water systems
These water sources could have easily sustained millions of people permanently, making it the only logical location for the true biblical Jerusalem.
Conclusion
Modern Jerusalem lacks the necessary water resources to have ever supported millions of Israelites.
The Israelites struggled to find water only after moving away from the abundant water sources of the Nile and Blue Nile regions, proving that they entered a land with fewer permanent water supplies.
The Sea of Galilee is too small to sustain a massive population over generations.
The land of modern Jerusalem was already arid and incapable of supporting a large nation, making it an invalid candidate for biblical Jerusalem.
Historical records show that modern Jerusalem was an inhospitable environment long before the time of Moses, further proving that it could never have been the true biblical Jerusalem.
The real Jerusalem had to be in a land with vast, naturally replenishing water sources - like Ethiopia.
The evidence overwhelmingly proves that only a water-rich region like Ethiopia could have been the true homeland of the Israelites, making modern Jerusalem an impossible candidate for biblical history.
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