Egyptian dig uncovers 3,000-year-old lintel linking site to biblical Exodus

Excavations at Tell Abu Seifi, an ancient fortified outpost near the Sinai Peninsula, have yielded a large sandstone lintel that carries the royal titles of Ramesses II, the pharaoh traditionally linked to the Exodus narrative. The stone also mentions the restoration of a Horus statue described as “Lord of the City of Mesen,” reinforcing the theory that this settlement corresponds to the New Kingdom city referenced in the Book of Exodus.

Alongside the lintel, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a fortified temple complex, including mudbrick enclosure walls, gates, storage chambers and two stone roadways leading into the precinct. The site’s occupational history continued into the Roman period, when part of it was converted into a military barracks in the third century A.D. Officials emphasized that while the findings present a strong hypothesis, ongoing digs are required to obtain definitive proof. The discovery follows other recent Egyptian finds tied to Ramesses II and the biblical era, such as a colossal statue at Tel Pharaoh and a settlement at Tell el-Koua in Wadi Tumilat.