From thence it passed toward Azmon, and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the goings out of that coast were at the sea: this shall be your south coast.
From thence it passes toward Azmon - now El Kusaimeh, or Aseimeh.
And went out unto the river of Egypt - i:e., after leaving Azmon it followed the course of El-'Arish, and terminated on the west at the shore of the Mediterranean. Notwithstanding these minute specifications, the southern boundary of Judah is involved in much obscurity, from the still imperfect exploration of the region through which the line runs, and even its real course is differently traced, according to the opinion entertained regarding the position of Kadesh. Thus, Robinson, Stanley, Porter, delineate this border as beginning at the southern point of the Dead Sea, and running directly south through the Arabah to Kadesh-barnea (Ain El-Weibeh), a distance of about thirty-five miles, whence it diverged to the west, extending in an apparently straight line to Wady El-'Arish. On the other hand, Rowland, followed by Kurtz and Wilton ('Negeb'), in fixing the site of Kadesh-barnea at Ain Kadeis, on the northern base of the Aza-zimeh hills, represents the boundary line by a very different route. Starting on the east at the southern point of the Dead Sea, where it touches the northwestern district of Idumea, it took a westerly course through the wilderness of Zin (Wady Murreli), and after ascending to the south of Kadesh-barnea (Ain Kadeis) it crossed over to Hezron, and went up to Adar. Then "it fetched a compass to Karka'a" - that is, as explained by the last-mentioned writers, 'instead of proceeding directly to the Wady El-'Arish along the Wady El-Kusaimeh, it turned southwards from the southeastern extremity of that Wady, skirted the western wall of the 'Azazimeh (or Temanite) mountains along its entire extent, and then, at the Karka'a, swept round northwest to join the 'Arish' ('Negeb,' pp. 161, 162).