Egyptologists have revealed the discovery of a 3,000-year-old bronze sword that may be linked to the Pharoah typically believed to have enslaved the Israelites, as told in the book of Exodus. The sword bears the mark of Pharoah Ramesses II and was discovered in a site labeled Tell Al-Abqain in Housh Eissa, a city just south of Alexandria. Archaeologists from Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities described other finds that were discovered, including “a series of mudbrick architectural units, including military barracks for soldiers and storage rooms for weapons, food, and provisions from the New Kingdom era.” Along with the barracks, there was jewelry and protective relics. “’In addition to the barracks, numerous artifacts and personal items belonging to soldiers were unearthed.” Personal items belonging to soldiers, such as hygiene items, were also uncovered, giving archaeologists insight into the day to day of the barracks.

Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), described the strategic importance of the barracks to ancient Egypt. “It is an important discovery highlighting the strategic role of Tell Al-Abqain area as a crucial military outpost on the Western military road, protecting Egypt’s northwestern borders from potential invasions by Libyan tribes and Sea Peoples.” “Sea Peoples” refers to a group of aggressive invaders that are believed to have destroyed the Hittite Empire and were eventually defeated by Ramesses III in 1178 BC after a failed invasion against Egypt. Khaled also praised the structure’s design. “”[T]he architectural units are meticulously designed, divided into two identical groups separated by a narrow passage,” the press release explained. “This regular layout demonstrates the ingenuity of the ancient Egyptian engineers in adapting their surroundings to serve a variety of practical purposes.”

Ramesses II is believed to have been born in 1303 BC and died in 1213 BC. Exodus 1:11, which states, “So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh,” has generally been the verse that led some researchers to believe the unnamed Pharoah in the book of Exodus may have been Ramesses II. The classic movie “The Ten Commandments” also portrays Ramesses as the Pharoah at the time. Of course, ancient Egyptian history is notoriously difficult to pinpoint, as many records are incomplete or portray the Pharaohs in the best light possible. Biblical archaeologists often attribute a “late” and an “early” date as possible times for the events of Exodus, with the late date suggesting the events occurred around 1225 BC (during the days of Ramesses II) and the early date being around 1446 BC (either during the days Thutmose I or his father Amenhotep I).