CLYSMA
CLYSMA (
Κλῦσμα), the name given by Eusebius to the Heroopolitan or western gulf of the Red Sea, through which the Israelites passed on dry land. (
Onomast. s. v. Βεελσεφών. Philostorgius (
H.E. 3.5) says that the gulf was so called from the place where it terminated; which would seem to indicate that the site of the modern
Suez was anciently occupied by a town of this name.
In corroboration of this, Epiphanius (
adv. Haer. lib. ii. p. 618) mentions
τὸ κάστρον τοῦ Κλύσματος as one of the three ports of the Red Sea,--the others being Aïla or Elath, and Berenice (anciently Ezion-geber), both situated on the Elanitic gulf. (Reland.
Palaest. pp. 471,472, 556.)
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G.W]