Where was Pithom located in the Bible?

Pithom was a city in ancient Egypt, built by the Israelites as a store city for Pharaoh. It is generally identified with the archaeological site Tell er-Retaba in the eastern Nile Delta region (Exodus 1:11).

What happened at Pithom in the Bible?

The Bible states that the enslaved Israelites were forced to build the store cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. This was part of their harsh labor before the Exodus (Exodus 1:11).

Why is Pithom significant in biblical history?

Pithom is significant as tangible evidence of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt, setting the stage for God's deliverance. Its mention confirms the historical context of oppression from which Moses led the people out.

Pithom

cityOld TestamentEgypt

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Modern Name

Tell er Retaba

Country

Egypt

Region

Egypt

Coordinates

30.5475, 31.9636

Pithom is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Egypt in modern-day Egypt. Known today as Tell er Retaba. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.

Biblical History

Pithom appears in Exodus 1:11 as one of two store cities that the enslaved Israelites were forced to build for Pharaoh, the other being Raamses. The construction of Pithom is set within the broader narrative of Egyptian oppression, when a new king who did not know Joseph rose to power and subjected the Hebrews to harsh labor. The building of these supply cities represents the nadir of Israel's suffering before God raised up Moses as deliverer. Though Pithom is mentioned only once by name in Scripture, its significance resonates throughout the exodus narrative. The city served as a storage depot along the military and trade route between Egypt and the Sinai, underscoring its strategic importance. Pithom thus stands as a symbol of bondage and forced labor from which God would dramatically liberate His people, an event that became the foundational redemptive act of the Old Testament and a foreshadowing of ultimate deliverance through Christ.

Archaeological & Historical Notes

The identification of Pithom has been debated since the nineteenth century, with two primary candidates: Tell el-Retabeh and Tell el-Maskhuta, both in the Wadi Tumilat of the eastern Nile Delta. Edouard Naville initially identified Tell el-Maskhuta as Pithom in 1883, discovering storage magazines and an inscription mentioning the site name Per-Atum (House of Atum). However, subsequent excavations by John Holladay at Tell el-Maskhuta and by Hans Goedicke at Tell el-Retabeh have led many scholars to favor Tell el-Retabeh as the more likely location. Excavations there have revealed mudbrick structures, storage facilities, and evidence of occupation during the New Kingdom period consistent with the biblical timeframe. Both sites remain subjects of active archaeological investigation.

Verse Appearances (1)

Exod

Exod 1:11

Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →

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