MARA (Heb. Mārāh, Septuagint Μέρρα πικρία). - A spring of bitter ASŬUR (v.), where the Israelites halted on the third day after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 15, 23-26). From the 4th century it was commonly identified with 'Ajūn Mūsā (“springs of Moses”), 15 km southeast of Suez and 30 km from the Bitter Lakes.
In 1494 Fr. Suriano (v.) proposed a location closer to Sinai, and since 1822 M. has commonly been identified with 'Ajn Ḥawārah, 82 km from Suez. The principal reason for the shift is the suitability of the stages; however, given the scantiness of the water, some prefer to return to the traditional location. The location of M. is closely connected with that of the place where the crossing of the Red Sea occurred.
BIBL.: A. Molini, s. V. in DB, IV, cols. 707-11; B. Meistermann, Guide du Nil au Jourdain, Paris 1909, pp. 55-57; C. Bourdon, La route de l'Essede, in Revue biblique, 41 (1932), p. 549; F.-M. Abel, Géographie de la Palestine, II, Paris 1938, pp. 210, 378. Bellarmino Bagatti