I have always read that the Israelites crossed the red sea to escape the Egyptions,but reading exodus I see that the Israelites went south to Etham and then turned north to camp on the coast shore opposite baal-zephron.It was while they were here that the egyptions caught up with them and the lord parted the sea, no mention that they had gone south again and had the red sea parted. Where they camped was and is a coastal lake, maybe this was the sea that was parted?