In Lehi's dream "there arose . . . an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way" (1 Nephi 8:23). According to George Potter and Richard Wellington, in wadi Tayyib al-Ism the lower end of the canyon opens onto the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. They observed thick fog in the canyon which is caused by the cool air descending from the mountains mixing with the moist warm air circulating from the Red Sea. This would presumably have been a cause of concern for Lehi and Sariah as any young children could easily become lost in the mist. Under such conditions, the only way to find their way back up the canyon would have been to hold close to the granite cliff walls, using them as a guide "feeling their way" back to the upper canyon. [George Potter and Richard Wellington, Discovering the Lehi-Nephi Trail, pp. 62-63]
1 Nephi 8:23 An exceedingly great mist of darkness (Potter) [Illustration]: The sun sets over Egypt in the distance. The combination of warm water in the Red Sea and cool air from the mountains can make thick fogs, which only affect the coast, reminiscent of Lehi's mist of darkness which blinded people who were lost in the gulf. [George Potter and Richard Wellington, Discovering the Lehi-Nephi Trail, pp. 68-69, Unpublished]
1 Nephi 8:23 A mist of darkness ([Illustration]): The brightness of the afternoon sun is nearly obliterated during this sandstorm in the Arabian peninsula near the borders of the Red Sea. Driven by winds in excess of seventy miles an hour, sand particles cut with abrasive power any object or life form they touch. [Scot and Maurine Proctor, Light from the Dust, pp. 36-37]
1 Nephi 8:24 I Beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron ([Illustration]): The Rod of Iron and the Tree of Life. Artist: Greg Olsen [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Ensign, March 1995, p. 14]