Red Sea cultural definition

Narrow sea between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

• Probably named for the red algae that are sometimes present in its waters.
• According to the Bible (see also Bible), the Red Sea's waters parted to allow the Israelites, led by Moses, to escape the pursuing Egyptian army. The “Red Sea” of the biblical account, however, seems more likely to have been the marshy Sea of Reeds than the present-day Red Sea.