MARA (Hebr. Mărâh, LXX Mēpoa νυμφαία). — A fountain of bitter water in the desert of Sur (see), where the Israelites halted on the third day after crossing the Red Sea (Ex. 15:23-26). Since the 4th century it has commonly been identified with 'Ajūn Mūsā ("the fountains of Moses"), 15 km southeast of Suez and 30 km from the Bitter Lakes.
In 1494 the friar Suriano (see) proposed a location nearer to Sinai, and since 1822 MARA has usually been identified with 'Ajūn Hawārah, 82 km from Suez. The main reason for this shift is the convenience of the stages; however, given the scarcity of water, some prefer to return to the traditional site. The location of MARA is closely connected with that of the place where the crossing of the Red Sea took place.