Hi 3rdAndLong,
I just used that picture as a map to show people where Paran is. Thanks for that site my friend, i visited that before, its interesting isn't it
Paran is located near the Northeast of the Sinai Peninsula.
Deuteronomy 1:2 States - "(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)"
The walking distance between Horeb until Kadesh-barnea according to my calculations and other's understandings can be said that the people could have walked somewhere in the vacinity of upto 40km per day. So for safety's sake lets take the number 40km ...
The journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea takes 11 days. It must be noted that the Israelites travelled in the day-time, i highly doubt that anybody would travel 24 hours a day, they travelled until day ... Which is from Sun-rise to Sun-set (sun-up to sun-down) ... Which is 6am to 6pm.
So ... 40km per day ... Times 11 days = 440km. Mecca is some 1,000km away from Horeb, thats about half the distance out from a good calculation. Mecca just cannot be Paran.
Ishmael and Hagar were closer to Egypt in the area of Paran rather than Mecca. Hagar was an Egyptian and Ishmael married an Egyptian, and Paran is located near Egypt. Therefore it's wishful thinking to claim that they settled and died in Mecca. So where are their graves?
Genesis 21:14 States - "...And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba"
Paran is the large desert that stretches along the southern border of Canaan and along the frontier of Egypt, called et-Tih today. the northern edge of the wilderness is Beersheba, the southern part is near the mountains of Horeb, the eastern is by the desert of Shur, and the western is the fringes of the Arabah. from "the Commentary on the Old Testament" by Keil-Delitszch, vol.1, pgs. 245,246.
Genesis 20:1 States - "And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar"
Between Kadesh and Shur to the south, Abraham dwelled Temporarily. That on map lands exactly on the Wilderness of Paran. Now ... Genesis 21:14 States that Hagar wondered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.
It would not be reasonable to say that Hagar made a trip from all the way from Mecca to wilderness of Beersheba. From Paran to Beersheba is approximately 2 days walking distance. Abraham gave Hagar some bread and a bottle of water.
Assuming Mecca is Paran, a person cannot walk 1,000km to Beersheba and expect to survive with just 1 Bottle of water and some bread. It doesn't make sense at all.
The assumption that the Bible says Paran is Mecca, is ludacris in my opinion.