Etham (אֵתָם) was the second place at which the
Israelites stopped during
the Exodus. According to the
Torah, Etham was on the edge of the wilderness (i.e. the edge of civilization). It has been suggested that Etham is another name for Khetam, or
fortress, on the Shur or great wall of
Egypt, which extended from the
Mediterranean Sea to the
Gulf of Suez. It may be close to the modern town of
Ismaïlia.