Lehis Journey

Lehi left (fled) Jerusalem with his family in 600 B.C. (1 Nephi 2:4, 19:8), "came down by the borders near the shore of the Red Sea", and travelled along the coast of the Red Sea. After travelling three days (240 to 300 km) in the wilderness, he made camp in a valley by a running stream that emptied continually into the beginning of the Red Sea (likely Wadi Tayyib al-Ism, 115 km miles by trail from Aqaba http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&ll=28.562964,34.809494&spn=0.052468,0.045662&om=1 or below).

Is the anomaly on the coast at left indicative of flow at the time of photograph?

http://www.hawsedc.com/wadi.jpg)

While they tarried at their wilderness camp, the sons of the family returned to Jerusalem twice for important things they would need (scripture--Laban's Brass Plates--in chapters 3 through 6 and wives--Ishmael's daughters--in chapter 7), gathered provisions for a long journey (chapter 8), and received further instructions from heaven (chapters 8 through 16).

Finally one night at the camp (one wonders just how many weeks or months they tarried there), the voice of the Lord told Lehi to strike camp the next morning (16:9). The next morning, Lehi discovered "a round ball of curious workmanship", "of fine brass", at the door of his tent, with two spindles inside it, and "the one" (or was it "they" one) "pointed the way" to go in the wilderness. One student has conjectured that the two spindles bore testimony of each other. If they were at odds (or perpendicular), the ball was not functional due to a lack of faith. If they were as one pointing the way (parallel and perfectly overlaid), the ball was functional. (Is there not a type in this thing?)

They packed up all, crossed the river of water, which they had christened the River of Laman, and travelled south-southeast four days to a second camp along the Red Sea coast, which they called Shazer, and where they hunted animals for food.

After the camp at Shazer they continued south-southeast many more days along the Red Sea coast, hunting along the way, and being led to oases by "the directions of the ball", until they made a third Red Sea camp.

At their third camp, where they had stopped to rest and get more food, Nephi broke his steel bow on the first major hunt, and the hunting party returned with no food. (Note that this was likely a fine wooden bow with a steel reinforcing band or spring on its tensile or outer side.) Nephi's brothers were upset at him for breaking his bow, and a general spirit of grumbling overtook the fatigued and hungry company. After trial, tutoring, and repentance, the family got food and resumed their journey south-southeast again for many days.

Ishmael, the father-in-law of Lehi's sons, died (16:34). He was buried at Nahom (likely the Nehem a few dozen miles north of modern Sana'a, the capital of Yemen http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&spn=0.1,0.1&ll=16.27,44.53), and a renewed spirit of grumbling pervaded the group. At this point they wanted to go back to Jerusalem, and discussed killing Lehi and Nephi. But the voice of the Lord spoke to the grumblers and chastened them. They repented (chapter 16) and took their journey inland, nearly eastward (17:1) (likely at the trade route branch in the Jawf valley (Wadi Jawf) just a few miles from Nehem).

For eight years they sojourned in the deserts of modern Yemen, Oman, and perhaps Saudia Arabia. (17:4) The Lord kept them from making much fire, and they lived on raw meat. (17:2,12) The Lord said he would make the raw meat sweet to them and would be their light in the wilderness, and they would know He had led them through.

At last they came to a beautiful land they called Bountiful (likely Wadi Sayq/Khor Kharfot in Oman http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&spn=0.1,0.1&ll=16.67,53.15), where they rejoiced, rested, and prepared to travel across the sea to their promised land.

Camels and distance

"On journeys lasting for several weeks, camels cover a distance of approximately 30 to 40 km per day. On shorter journeys, lasting less than a week, they cover 80 to 100 km per day. In exceptional circumstances, bulls are able to walk more than 120 km in a single day, provided that they have a whole day to rest afterwards." http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/feedback/war/war92/x1700t05.htm