Egyptian archaeologists have recently unearthed a 3,000-year-old fortress which has ties to the Book of Exodus, Fox News reported.
Discovery Was Announced This Month
The discovery, which was announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in an October 11 news release, was discovered at the Tell El-Kharouba archaeological site in Sheikh Zuweid, a Bedouin town located in North Sinai. The site dates back to the New Kingdom period, which lasted from roughly 1550 B.C. to 1070 B.C. The fortress was constructed about 3,000 years ago, which is a period typically associated with the Book of Exodus.
Book of Exodus Refers to Discovery Area
The Book of Exodus actually makes reference to Horus Military Road, the road on which the fortress was discovered, which led from Egypt to Canaan. “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter,” the book reads. “For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.”
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Artifacts Were Also Found
Along with the fortress itself, which encompasses 86,100 square feet, archaeologists uncovered many artifacts at the site, including ceramic vessels, fragments of pottery, and a jar handle which bears the inscription of King Thutmose I, Egypt’s ruler from 1506 B.C. until 1493 B.C. Eleven defensive towers have also been discovered around the fortress’ property.
“Additionally, quantities of volcanic stones—likely transported by sea from the volcanoes of the Greek islands—were discovered, along with a large bread oven and nearby remnants of fossilized dough,” according to the release. The miraculous findings “confirm that the fortress was a fully functioning center for the soldiers’ daily lives,” officials added.
Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
An ‘Embodiment of the Genius of Ancient Egyptians’
“This discovery represents a tangible embodiment of the genius of the ancient Egyptians in constructing an integrated defensive system to protect Egypt’s land,” said Sherif Fathy, minister of tourism and antiquities. “It reveals new chapters of Egypt’s distinguished military history and reinforces Sinai’s status as a land bearing unique civilizational evidence across the ages.”
