Exodus 1: 1-7 refers to the great grandsons of Abraham, who left the land of Canaan because of a severe famine and settled in Egypt, in the east of the Nile delta in the area called Goshen (Genesis 46: 33). It is probable that there were other groups related to Jacob's people who did not go into Egypt and with whom those in Goshen retained connections, but the Biblical record is only interested in those who went into Egypt, and their descendants who came to be called the Israelites. Where the book of Genesis tells the stories of Joseph and his brothers, and of the early life of Moses in Egypt, there are references which are in agreement with what is known of Egyptian history and culture during the period from approximately 1600 B.C. to the reign of Rameses II, from 1290 to 1224 B.C. The rule of the Semitic Hyksos rulers of Egypt was brought to an end in 1550 B.C. when a series of new Egyptian dynasties was begun. It has been suggested that the descendants of Jacob settled in Goshen during the period of the Hyksos rulers when the situation would have been favourable to Semitic immigrants. When the Hyksos rulers were overthrown with accompanying anti-Semitic feeling, the Israelites, as we shall now call them, found themselves in an unpleasant situation as an immigrant Semitic minority.

In Exodus 1: 8-11 we read this: 'Then, a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his people, "These Israelites are so numerous and strong that they are a threat to us. In case of war they might join our enemies in order to fight against us, and might escape from the country. We must find some way to keep them from becoming even more numerous." So the Egyptians put slave drivers over them to crush their spirits with hard labour. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses to serve as supply centres for the king.'

Exactly who the Pharaoh was 'who knew nothing of Joseph' has interested archaeologists. One suggestion is that it was Pharaoh Seti I, who was the father of the more famous Pharaoh Rameses II, one of the greatest builders of Egypt. Great statues of this king and some of the buildings he erected can be seen today. Seti I began a major rebuilding programme which his son completed. Rameses II established his capital in the Nile delta, at the place which had been the capital of the Hyksos kings, instead of keeping the capital at Thebes in Upper Egypt from where previous Pharaohs had ruled. According to the record of Exodus, the Israelites were part of the labour force which built the city named after the king and which became his capital. A 'stele', or inscribed stone pillar, set up by Pharaoh Seti I and recording that he began the rebuilding of the old Hyksos capital to make it a new capital for his kingdom, has been found.

The involvement of the Israelites in the rebuilding of the capital city of Rameses II also points to the deliverance of the Israelites taking place before the end of his reign, giving us a date during the thirteenth century B.C. for the Exodus. We should notice, however, that there is nothing in the Egyptian evidence of the time which refers to a group of Israelites and their activities. Egyptian history and archaeology provide an authentic background for the Biblical story but cannot help us understand the significance of Moses and his people. To understand this we have to look at what is presented to us in the Pentateuchal books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy as part of the total 'salvation history' of the chosen people of God. What matters in understanding these events of salvation history is not the name and dates of the Pharaoh who reigned at the time of the Exodus, but understanding the theological significance of the struggle between Moses, who acts on behalf of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Pharaoh, who represents the powers which would destroy the people chosen by God for his purposes.