Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation (Exodus 1:6).
Genesis 50:26 states that Joseph was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt. Perhaps his other family members were given similar treatment when they died, although it may also be that Joseph’s treatment was special, due to his elevated status in Egypt. This display of Egyptian mummies and coffins was photographed at the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University.
Therefore they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with their grueling labor (Exodus 1:11).
Note the taskmaster with a rod on the right hand side; the men pictured are carrying wine and papyrus for the treasuries of Amun. This painting was photographed at the tomb of Rekhmire in Thebes. It dates to the reign of Thutmose III, or perhaps early in the reign of Amenhotep II, close to the time of Moses.
They built store cities for Pharaoh, Pithom and Raamses (Exodus 1:11).
In the Ramesside period, Seti I (1294–1279 BC) began building and Rameses II (1279–1213 BC) greatly expanded the city of Pi-Rameses, a site located 1.25 miles (2 km) northeast of Tell el-Dab‘a, at modern Qantir. Pi-Rameses (Egyptian pr-r‘mss) was one of the largest cities in the entire ancient Near East, covering an area almost 3,800 acres in size (6 sq. mi.; 16 sq. km). Nearly all biblical scholars believe that Pi-Rameses was the biblical city Rameses mentioned in the account of the exodus.
They made their lives bitter with hard labor with mortar and with bricks (Exodus 1:14).
This Egyptian tomb painting depicts the main activities associated with making bricks: digging up dry clay, drawing water, mixing the two together, and shaping the clay with a wooden brick mold.
Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son that is born, you shall throw into the Nile” (Exodus 1:22).
This artwork was created long after the time of the Exodus but depicts wild beasts that continued to live along the Nile River. This 1st-century mosaic from Pompeii was photographed at the Naples Archaeological Museum.
