This paper examines the historical and archaeological background to the toponyms Pithom and Rameses in Exodus 1:11 as a counterargument to those who deny the traditional understanding that they refer to sites attested in the Ramesside era and favor the theory that they reflect 7th BCE (and even later) geopolitical realities. Recent excavations at Tell el-Retaba and Tell el-Maskhuta have helped clarify the situation and militate strongly against this redating. Linguistic issues will be addressed in the forthcoming second part of this article.
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