Numbers 13:17

"And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get up this way by the South, and go up into the hill-country: and see the land, what it is; and the people that dwell therein, whether they are strong or weak, whether they are few or many; and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds; and what the land is, whether it is fat or lean, whether there is wood therein or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first-ripe grapes."

"Get you up this way by the South ..." Literally, "by the Negeb"[12] The Negeb is called the South Country and is a well-defined area lying from Kadesh North to the vicinity of Hebron, and covering the whole area between the Jordan and Dead Sea valley to the Mediterranean.

"The first-ripe grapes ..." "The first-ripe grapes came in late July or early August, but the full vintage came in September and October."[13] This corresponds exactly with the time elapsed since their leaving Sinai.