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The episode is in the Bible – more precisely in Exodus, an Old Testament book. But most historians and archaeologists doubt this story. According to the biblical account, the Egyptians, after facing several plagues sent by God, agree to free the Jews, held as slaves. Led by Moses, the Jews depart towards the Promised Land (in present-day Israel). But the Egyptian Pharaoh regrets letting them go and sends an army to pursue them. Upon reaching the shores of the Red Sea, Moses makes the waters open for the Jews to cross, and then close, drowning the Egyptian soldiers. To begin with, many historians maintain that Moses and the Exodus are legends with no historical foundation. Researchers who believe in the biblical account dispute important details of the episode. Chief among them is that the places mentioned in the parting of the Red Sea were never found. Some specialists say that the Jews crossed through a shallow part of the Gulf of Suez, which, due to the effect of the tide, is exposed during some hours of the day – the Egyptian soldiers would have drowned when the tide rose. Another theory is that the crossing of the Jews also happened in the Gulf of Suez, but in an area further south – the Egyptians, with their heavy war chariots, would have sunk in swampy waters. One last theory says that the passage rolled over the Gulf of Aqaba, between present-day Israel and Jordan, taking advantage of strong winds that expose sandbanks hidden by the sea. None of this has been proven so far.