The desert shows up in many stories in the Bible. Deserts are important places where people go to spend time with God without the distractions of regular life. The people of Israel crossed the desert of the Sinai Peninsula to get to the Promised Land, an area that now includes the nations of Palestine, Israel, and Jordan.

During the time that Israel spent in the desert, God provided them with a type of bread that appeared on the ground every morning. They called it “manna”, which means, “what is it?” This strange bread fed them throughout their forty-year journey to the Promised Land. The book of Exodus says that it looked like coriander seeds and tasted like honey. Every morning, the Israelites woke up and gathered exactly the amount they needed for the day—if they tried to stock up, the manna would spoil. The day before Sabbath, though, they gathered enough for two days so that they could rest. The extra manna they gathered for their rest day did not spoil!

This manna was a daily sign of God’s love for the Israelites, as well as a daily method of learning to trust in God’s provision. When we feel like we cannot hear God’s voice or feel God’s presence, we can also be assured of God’s love and provision in the taste of bread.

While the Bible calls these places deserts, they are not filled with sand dunes like the desert you might picture in your mind. There are mountains and steep valleys called “wadis” that become rivers in the rainy season. Visit the digital resource page to see images of Biblical desert areas.