Mediterranean Sea factors. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 created the first salt-water passage between the Mediterranean and Red Sea. The Red Sea is higher than the Eastern Mediterranean, so the canal serves as a tidal strait that pours Red Sea water into the Mediterranean. The Bitter Lakes, which are hyper-saline natural lakes that form part of the canal, blocked the migration of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean for many decades, but as the salinity of the lakes gradually equalised with that of the Red Sea, the barrier to migration was removed, and plants and animals from the Red
Crossing the Red Sea Crossing the Red Sea The Crossing of the Red Sea (Hebrew: קריעת ים סוף "Kriat Yam Suph" – Crossing of the Red Sea or Sea of Reeds) is part of the biblical narrative of the Exodus, the escape of the Israelites, led by Moses, from the pursuing Egyptians in the Book of Exodus. This story is also mentioned in the Quran in Surah 26: Al-Shu'ara' (The Poets) in verses 60–67. According to the Exodus account, Moses held out his staff, and the Red Sea was parted by God. The Israelites walked on the exposed dry ground and crossed the sea,