The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
According to the biblical Exodus tradition, the 40-year period followed the Israelites’ refusal to enter Canaan after the mission of the twelve spies. The spies explored the land for 40 days, but most returned with a fearful report. The people lost confidence and resisted the attempt to take the Promised Land.
Numbers presents the wilderness wandering as a judgment: the generation that left Egypt would not enter Canaan, with Joshua and Caleb singled out as exceptions among the spies. The Israelites’ journey included encampments, disputes, religious laws, manna, and periods of hardship before the next generation approached the Jordan.
The 40 years should not be confused with the 40 days spent scouting Canaan. Nor does the number necessarily provide a modern, independently measured travel duration; it is the length given by the biblical narrative and carries symbolic importance in biblical literature. Joshua eventually leads the people into the Promised Land.