Refugees Crossing the Sea—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

After the inauguration of the Suez Canal, the Red Sea became a strategically vital link between the northern and southern hemispheres. Prior to that, in the sixteenth century the sea was a stage for a major conflict on the route to India and for domination over global trade. We shall come to that below. However, from east to west, between its Asian and African coasts, the restless Red Sea was rather a barrier. Crossing it was a challenge for traders, pilgrims, travelers. The sea was also crossed by refugees fleeing from one side to the other. Some of these refugees made history: they heralded new chapters in the histories of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.