Numbers 33:19-30

‘And they journeyed from Rithmah, and encamped in Rimmon-perez. And they journeyed from Rimmon-perez, and encamped in Libnah. And they journeyed from Libnah, and encamped in Rissah. And they journeyed from Rissah, and encamped in Kehelathah. And they journeyed from Kehelathah, and encamped in mount Shepher. And they journeyed from mount Shepher, and encamped in Haradah. And they journeyed from Haradah, and encamped in Makheloth. And they journeyed from Makheloth, and encamped in Tahath. And they journeyed from Tahath, and encamped in Terah. And they journeyed from Terah, and encamped in Mithkah. And they journeyed from Mithkah, and encamped in Hashmonah. And they journeyed from Hashmonah, and encamped in Moseroth.'

This list of unknown names speaks volumes to us. Most of the first part of the list of names from Rameses to Hazeroth were well recorded in the history in Exodus, and in 11:35. Some of the final names will be recorded in the history. But the middle section are totally unmentioned. This is confirmation that the middle period was deliberately blanked out as far as the history was concerned. Moses had a record of the names of the places visited, where the Dwellingplace had been set up. He knew what had happened at each of them. But all that was to be ignored. Indeed as far as the rest of Numbers was concerned, apart from the incidents of Korah and the rod that budded which illustrate the rebellion at Kadesh, the whole period between the first leaving of Hazeroth and the second arrival at Kadesh, is as though it had not been. It was a blot on the name of Israel.

It may, however, be that we have reference to Moseroth (plural of Moserah) in the reference to Moserah (‘chastisement') in Deuteronomy 10:6. But it is equally possible that each name was allocated to a different place and a different incident, with Moseroth (the plural) stressing a deeper level of chastisement than Moserah.