SUR (Heb. Šûr “wall”). - Desert traversed by the Israelites during three days’ march after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 15, 22), called in Num. 33, 8 the desert of Etham. It is probably to be located west of el-'Ariš.
The name seems to derive from the fortified frontier of the isthmus of Suez (the wall par excellence: Egyptian ḥtm), or more specifically from a locality ḥtm n T'rw (fortress of Taru or Zalu) situated at Tell Abû Sejfeh, a few km. east of the Suez Canal and the village of el-Qanṭarah. S. would be the Hebrew transcription of the Egyptian ḥtm. Perhaps, however, the name of the desert came from the wall-like form presented by the chain of er-Râḥah east of the plain.
On the road to S. the Angel of the Lord found the fugitive Hagar (Gen. 16, 7); Abraham passed through it when going down into Egypt (ibid. 20, 1). The name recurs in the expression “from Hevila as far as S. opposite Egypt” or “on the frontier of Egypt” (I Sam. 15, 7; 27, 8) and indicates the dwelling place of the descendants of Ishmael and Amalek.