Paran

Meaning: abounding in foliage, or abounding in caverns, (Genesis 21:21)

a desert tract forming the northeastern division of the peninsula of Sinai, lying between the Arabah on the east and the wilderness of Shur on the west

It is intersected in a northwestern direction by the Wady el-'Arish. It bears the modern name of Badiet et-Tih, i.e., “the desert of the wanderings.” This district, through which the children of Israel wandered, lay three days' march from Sinai (Numbers 10:12, 33). From Kadesh, in this wilderness, spies were sent to spy the land (13:3, 26). Here, long afterwards, David found refuge from Saul (1 Samuel 25:1, 4).