Eilat is on the southern edge of the Negev Desert, so as soon as you leave Eilat, you are in the Negev.
Israel has two deserts - the Negev Desert and the Yehuda Desert also known as the Judean Desert.
The Negev desert is mainly empty space - as you would assume. However, there are many villages and towns. The largest is Beer Sheva (at the northern end of the Negev - "Capital of the Negev" - one of Israel's larger cities (with a university and large hospital). At the southern extreme is Eilat - a major tourist city. David Ben Gurion (Israel's first PM) had a vision of making the desert bloom - and over the years many other towns, kibbutzim and moshavim (villages) have sprung up in accordance with this policy. Ben Gurion himself lived and is buried on Kibbutz Sede Boker. Other towns of note include Mitzpe Ramon, Dimona, Sderot There is also fair human presence due to tourists (hiking the wadis - visiting the Ramon Craters etc), military and agriculture.
They had to cross many things, including the Sea of Reeds, the Sinai Desert, the Negev Desert, and the Jordan River.
About 340 miles (550 KM) from Eilat (south) to Metula (north).
The Chihuahuan Desert is 175,000 square miles.
The Chihuahuan Desert is 175,000 square miles.
A small population of Arabian leopards (Panthera pardus nimr) survives in the southern Negev. The Negev Totoise (Testudo werneri) is found in the western and central Negev. And the Negev Shrew (Crocidura ramona) is found only in Israel.
Mojave Desert - 25,000 square miles.Mojave Desert, USA - about 25,000 square miles.
The Namib Desert covers 31,000 square miles.
15 miles
The Great Victoria Desert of Australia is 220,000 square miles.
130 miles