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There was no "wandering" before that event, and it can be argued that there was none after it. Instead, the people were led by God's presence (Numbers ch.9).

The reconnaissance party was sent a little over one year after the Exodus from Egypt. If you read the Biblical text carefully, with some assistance from any one of the hundreds of insightful commentaries available, it's clear that the "spies" went ahead when they did because the entry into the land was imminent. The original plan was to walk directly from Goshen to Canaan, with a temporary side-trip and stop at Mount Sinai to receive God's Torah.

The entire trip could have been done in no more than a few months, but the return and report of the reconnaissance party changed the entire plan. Their report was so negative (Numbers ch.13) that it demoralized the people. These, after all, were a nation of people who had never known anything but slavery, do as you're told, and don't try to think for yourself. They were the unlikeliest lot to turn into an effective fighting force within a few months, and hearing the frightening report from the spies sealed the deal, guaranteeing that this particular generation would be capable of growing neither national identity nor spine.

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Why was it important for the israelites to wander in the wilderness?

It was a punishment after the episode of the spies (Numbers ch.13-14).


Why does God curse the Israelites to wander the wilderness for forty years before entering the promised land?

God cursed the Israelites to wander the wilderness for 40 years as a consequence of their lack of faith and disobedience. This period served as a time of purification and repentance for the Israelites before entering the promised land.


How long were the israelites in the wilderness before the spies were sent?

The Israelites entered the wilderness on the 16th of Nisan, 1312 BCE, the day after the Exodus. The spies (Numbers ch.13) were sent on the 29th of Sivan of the second year (Talmud, Taanit 29a). So your answer is that the spies were sent when the Israelites had been in the wilderness for one year and two-and-one-half months. See also:More about the Spies and other complaints


How long were the Israelites in the wilderness before the 12 spies were sent out?

The Israelites spent about one year in the wilderness before the twelve spies were sent out to scout the land of Canaan. This period included their escape from Egypt, the receiving of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, and preparation for entering the Promised Land. The sending of the spies occurred in the second year after their exodus, specifically in the second month of that year.


Why did God make the Israelites wander for forty years in the wilderness and what was He trying to teach them?

Because of the episode of the spies (see Numbers ch.13-14). See this link for details on this and other related topics :http://judaism.answers.com/kosher/the-complaints-in-the-wilderness-and-the-golden-calf


How many of the 12 spies trusted god?

Out of the 12 spies sent to explore the land of Canaan, only two—Caleb and Joshua—trusted God and believed that the Israelites could conquer the land. The other ten spies spread fear among the people by reporting that the land was inhabited by giants and that they would not succeed. As a result of their lack of faith, the Israelites were condemned to wander in the desert for 40 years.


How long were the Israelites in the wilderness before entering the promised land?

They journeyed and encamped in the wilderness for forty years (Numbers ch.14), at the guidance of God (Numbers ch.9).


Why is it that it took 40 years for the Israelites to capture the Promised Land?

It took them seven years.The forty years of which you asked were spent wandering the wilderness before entering the land.The reason they wandered for 4 decades is they believed the faithless 10 spies on the first approach.


Where in the Bible does it talk about spies?

One well-known instance of spies in the Bible is found in the book of Numbers, specifically in Numbers 13-14. In this account, twelve spies are sent by Moses to scout out the land of Canaan, which God had promised to give to the Israelites. However, most of the spies gave a negative report and caused the Israelites to doubt God's promise, resulting in them wandering in the wilderness for 40 years.


Did moses or Joshua send spies to the promised land?

Moses sent spies to the Promised Land. In the book of Numbers, he sent twelve spies to explore Canaan before the Israelites entered. Later, after Moses' death, Joshua also sent spies to Jericho as part of his campaign to conquer the land.


When did the Israelites begin wandering in the wilderness?

According to traditional chronology, the Israelites were in the wilderness from the 15th of Nisan in 1312 BCE, until the 10th of Nisan, 1272 BCE. Nisan is roughly the same time as April.However (and more precisely), their journeys didn't take on the melancholy of wandering until after the incident of the Spies (Numbers ch.13-14), which was in the summer of 1311 BCE.And, though they were still journeying, the aspect of melancholy (seemingly aimless wandering) ended one year before they entered the Holy Land.


How many traditions are there in the Book of Exodus?

The Book of Exodus is considered part of the Deuteronomic History, put together by the anonymous source now known as the Deuteronomist. It also contains earlier material attributed to another anonymous source, the Yahwist, as well as later material attributed to the Priestly Source. Evidence of these multiple sources can readily be seen, for example in the Spies narratives of the Yahwist and Priestly Source. These were skilfully interwoven by the Redactor, to present what would appear to be a single, but rather muddled and complex account. They can be separated as follows:Spies narrative of the YahwistMoses dispatched the spies. (13:17b-20)The spies travelled only as far north as Hebron (in the future kingdom of Judah). (13:22-25)The spies returned and issued their report to one person (Moses), stating that the land was 'flowing with milk and honey', but that the inhabitants were giants and and their cities fortified. (13:27-29)Caleb alone tried to encourage the Israelites to proceed with the conquest. (13:30)The spies countered Caleb's claim, stating that the land was unconquerable. (13:31,33)The people refused to enter Canaan and plotted to elect a new captain to lead them back to Egypt. (14:1b, 4)God was angry, threatening to destroy the people by plague. (14:11-12)God chose not to destroy the Israelites, instead they were to wander the desert until the present generation had died. (14:20-25)Spies narrative of the Priestly SourceAt God's command, Moses appointed twelve heads of tribes to scout the land, and dispached them from the Wilderness of Paran. (13:1-17a)The spies toured the entire Promised Land, 'from the Wilderness of Zin to the entrance to Hamath'. (13:21)The spies returned and displayed the land's fruit. They issued their report to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. (13:25-26)The report stated that Canaan was not only unconquerable, but a 'land that devours its inhabitants'. (13:32-33)The Israelites refused to enter Canaan. (14:1a, 2-3)Caleb and Joshua tried to encourage the Israelites to proceed with the conquest. The Israelites responded by calling for them to be stoned. (14:6-10a)God was angry and decreed that the Israelites will wander the wilderness for forty years, until the present sinful generation had died. (14: 26-35)The spies died in a plague, all except Joshua and Caleb. (14:36-38)