Baal-Zephon

Baal-zephon is a fixed coastal landmark on the Exodus route — named three times across the Red-Sea narrative as one of the bearings used to specify Israel's encampment, and again as the landmark before which Pharaoh's army overtakes them. The name itself preserves a Canaanite-Phoenician deity-marker (Zephon), but the function of the term in the narrative is purely geographic: a known site on the coast that fixes where Israel turns and camps.

Israel's Turn-Back Encampment

The first occurrence is the divine instruction telling Israel to turn back from a forward march and camp at a triangulated point between three named landmarks: "Speak to the sons of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon: across from it you⁺ will encamp by the sea" (Ex 14:2). Baal-zephon stands as one of three bearings — Pihahiroth, Migdol, the sea — that fix the camp's position.

The Egyptian Overtaking at Baal-Zephon

A few verses later the narrative tracks Pharaoh's pursuit to the same point: "And the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses [and] chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal-zephon" (Ex 14:9). The two narrated locations match — Israel camps before Baal-zephon, Egypt overtakes them at the same site.

In the Numbers Itinerary

The Numbers itinerary preserves the same landmark in its catalogue of Exodus stations: "And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back to Pihahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon: and they encamped before Migdol" (Num 33:7). The Numbers entry confirms the relative positions — the turn-back goes to Pihahiroth, which lies "before Baal-zephon," and the camp itself is set "before Migdol." The three landmarks together fix the geography of the moment immediately preceding the sea-crossing.