Engineer Book Offers New Take on Biblical Red Sea Crossing

Author and engineer Jeffrey Donlin has released A Highway in the Midst, a book offering a new interpretation of the biblical account of the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea. Drawing on linguistic analysis of the Hebrew Book of Exodus and his background in engineering and systems analysis, Donlin argues that the east wind did not merely expose the seafloor by pushing back the water. Instead, he interprets the text as describing dry ground forming across the sea’s surface, creating a passage between two areas of water. The book also reexamines the Hebrew word “Chomah,” suggesting it may refer to a defensive barrier rather than literal vertical walls of water.