p. 14 | PITHOM AND RAAMSES by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 6, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 45.

PITHOM AND RAAMSES.

By G.

When the king of Egypt conceived the idea of afflicting the children of Israel with rigorous labor, they were set to work to build the treasure, or store cities of Pithom and Raamses. These were in the land of Goshen, and toward the eastern frontier of Egypt. They were depositories for grain and munitions of war. Modern archæologists have not yet discovered Raamses, but in 1883-84 Mr. Naville found Pithom, about twelve miles west of Ismailia on the Wady Tumilat. Through this wady runs the canal which was cut to supply water from the Nile to the workmen who built the great Suez Canal. Near this were some granite statues representing Rameses II.

Here were found the ruins of a treasure city called Pi Tum (“devoted to Tum”), its religious name, the civil name being Succoth, and the founder being Rameses II. The buildings were of brick, on some of which inscriptions were found of “Pi Tum” (Pithom). Specimens of these bricks may be found in the British museum, and in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, and are usually from four to eight inches square, and one and one-half to two inches thick. They are unbaked but very hard. The treasure chambers occupy almost the whole of the old city, the walls of which are six hundred and fifty feet square and twenty-two feet thick. The whole space was divided into chambers, each with brick walls eight to ten feet thick, but with no windows and no doors. The discoverer says that in proof that we can now look upon one of the very treasure cities which the Israelites built, is the fact that the lower course of these walls, and for some distance up, are of well-made bricks with chopped straw in them, but higher up the courses of brick are not so good, the straw being long and scanty; and the last courses have no straw at all, but have sedges, rushes, and water plants mixed in the clay. G.

LESSON 6.—NOVEMBER 10.—ISRAEL OPPRESSED IN EGYPT.

Lesson Scripture, Ex. 1:1-14, R.V.

1 “Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with 2,3 Jacob, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, 4,5 and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy 6 souls; and Joseph was in Egypt already. And Joseph died, 7 and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which knew not 9 Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of 10 the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land. 11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they 12 built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were grieved because of 13 the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children 14 of Israel to serve with rigor; and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.”

Golden Text.—“God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant.” Ex. 2:24.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What were the names of Jacob’s sons who went with him to Egypt? Verses 1-4. (2) How many men were there of Jacob’s posterity? Verse 5. Note 1. (3) What more is said of that generation? Verse 6. (4) What is said of Israel’s prosperity? Verse 7. Note 2. (5) What change in the government finally took place? Verse 8. Note 3. (6) What did this king say to his people? Verse 9. Note 4. (7) What did he propose to do in the matter? and why? Verse 10. Note 5. (8) What was the first move in this policy? In what public work were they engaged? Verse 11. Note 6. (9) In what way did this affliction fail of its purpose? How were the Egyptians affected by the failure of their purpose? Verse 12. (10) What course was next pursued toward Israel? Verse 13. (11) What was the character of this rigorous service? Verse 14. Note 7.

NOTES.

1. The seventy souls that “came out of the loins of Jacob” did not comprise all the company that went down to Egypt with Jacob. The list of names in Gen. 46:8-27 includes only his sons and grandsons, and two women. There were also “his daughters and his sons’ daughters,” and the children of his grandsons, some of whom were married.

2. “Were Fruitful.”—Not only were the Israelites a strong and prolific people naturally, but they were especially so in Egyptian bondage. The people of that country were very prolific; twins were common, and there were often three, and even four, children at a birth. When we take into account the fact that in the providence of God the people of Israel were even more productive in this respect than the Egyptians, it is easy to see how “the land was filled with them.” By “the land” is meant the district of Goshen, which had been assigned to the Israelites. They were also employed as herdsmen in other parts of Egypt, from their first immigration. See Gen. 47:5, 6.

3. “Knew not Joseph,” or, more likely, did not want to longer recognize any obligation to Israel because of Joseph’s great service to the country. The Israelites had all along been exempt from the tax of one-fifth of their products, which from the days of the great famine had been imposed upon the Egyptians. No doubt this had come to be deemed unfair by the people of Egypt.

4. “More and mightier” would indicate superiority not only in numbers, but also in physical strength.

5. Dealing Wisely.—The king’s idea of wisdom in the case, was to break the growing power of Israel, lest they might take advantage of a time of war, and not only aid Egypt’s enemies, but leave the country themselves. While the government was growing fearful of Israel’s power and possible disaffection, it was not desirable to lose the valuable labors of so skilful and thrifty a people.

6. “Taskmasters.”—This expression shows that the government decided to have the Israelites do compulsory service. This service at first consisted in building the store cities of Raamses and Pithom.

7. “With Rigor.”—The word translated rigor is a very rare one. It is derived from a root which means to break in pieces, to crush.—Rawlinson. The ancient Egyptian monuments show such scenes as heavy burdens, savage whips wielded by the taskmasters, poor food, naked backs, and intolerable sufferings.