Bible Location

Pithom

Pithom was one of the store cities that, according to Exodus, the Israelites were compelled to build for Pharaoh during their oppression in Egypt. The Egyptian name is generally understood as Per-Atum, meaning the estate or house of the god Atum.

Pithom was located somewhere in the Wadi Tumilat, an important east-west corridor connecting the Nile Delta with the approaches to Sinai.

Its precise archaeological identification remains debated. Tell el-Retaba and Tell el-Maskhuta have both been proposed, and the evidence should not be represented as though one identification were universally established.

Biblical Significance

Exodus 1 describes a new Egyptian king oppressing the Israelites because he feared their increasing population. Taskmasters imposed forced labor upon them, and the Israelites built the store cities Pithom and Raamses for Pharaoh.

The account places Pithom within the Egyptian setting immediately preceding the birth and calling of Moses and the Exodus.

The reference to Pithom contributes to attempts to understand the geography and historical setting of Israel's residence in the eastern Nile Delta.

Historical Background

The name Pithom is generally connected with the Egyptian expression Per-Atum, referring to an establishment or temple estate of the god Atum.

The Wadi Tumilat formed a natural transportation corridor between the eastern Nile Delta and the Sinai frontier and contained settlements, fortifications, canals, and religious centers during different periods of Egyptian history.

Tell el-Maskhuta was identified as Pithom during nineteenth-century excavations and has continued to receive support from some scholars. Tell el-Retaba farther west has also been strongly proposed as the earlier location associated with Per-Atum.

Archaeological and inscriptional evidence indicates that the history and use of these sites changed substantially over time, making a simple identification difficult.

Modern Identification

Pithom should be located within the Wadi Tumilat of Egypt's eastern Delta, but its precise identification remains disputed.

The two principal candidates are Tell el-Retaba and Tell el-Maskhuta. Different reconstructions depend partly upon the dating of archaeological levels and the historical development of the Egyptian place-name Per-Atum.

AVWJ should therefore avoid presenting either site as unquestionably the Pithom of Exodus unless future evidence resolves the debate.

Scripture References

Exodus 1:11

Related Resources

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Sources

Bible: Exodus 1:8-14; Egyptian inscriptions referring to Per-Atum; archaeological excavations at Tell el-Retaba and Tell el-Maskhuta; historical and geographical studies of the Wadi Tumilat and eastern Nile Delta