Hi Dan
I would like to garner your thoughts on the Biblical Paran and it's location. Some maps I have seen show it to be in Sinai and others show that Petra is within it's boundries. A 13th century Islamic Geographer by the name of Yaqut al-Hamawi who wrote in 1225 A.D:
“Faaraan (Paran): After the alif there is a raa' and it ends in a nun. An Arabicized Hebrew word. It is one of the names for Mekkah mentioned in the Torah. It has been said that it is a name for the mountains of Mekkah".
Now I know Paran is nowhere near modern day Mecca (Many Muslims would argue this fact) but is in the general vacinity of either North West Arabia or Sinai depending on which website you visit. It is interesting that Paran (Arabized as Mecca) is noted by this geographer which compliments your own reserach. Muslims have been using this qouting Hamwai's work to link the future Prophet (Mohammad) to Deuteronomy 33:2 where God is executing his judgement of Paran by 10,000 believers. Muslims claim that when Mohammad attacked Mecca and overcame them he had 10,000 soldiers with him.
But the main point here is that we have an Islamic geographer placing Mecca around the North West of Arabia or in the Sinai. One map even named Petra with Khadesh Barnea in brackets under it ?.