Paran

Paran (also El-Paran) was a wilderness region in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula, bounded to the north by the Negeb and to the east by the Arabah. Hagar and Ishmael dwelt in the wilderness of Paran after their expulsion from Abraham's household (Gen. 21:21). The Israelites camped in the wilderness of Paran repeatedly during their wilderness wanderings (Num. 10:12; 12:16), and it was from Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran that the twelve spies were sent into Canaan (Num. 13:3, 26).

El-Paran ("the plain of Paran" or "the terebinth of Paran") is mentioned in Genesis 14:6 as the southernmost point of the campaign of the four kings against the five. The divine theophany in Deuteronomy 33:2 and Habakkuk 3:3 speaks of God coming from Paran — reflecting the tradition of his presence in this southern wilderness region associated with Sinai. Mount Paran in these passages likely refers to the Sinai massif.