Bible Location
4 cross references · Modern-day map available
Rameses was the region and city-area in Egypt from which the Israelites set out in the Exodus. It is important because it was one of the main centers of Hebrew forced labor and the starting point of the journey to freedom. First appears in Gen 47:11.1
Coordinates
30.80, 31.83
First appears
Gen 47:11
AI summary: Rameses is one of the most foundational place names in the Exodus story. It combines oppressive labor, centralized power, and the gathering of Israel for departure, so the same name holds both the memory of bondage and the first step into release. Genesis also links the surrounding land with Joseph's time in Egypt, giving the area deeper narrative roots. The cross references present Rameses as a place where residence, enslavement, and the beginning of redemption converge.1
Latitude
30.80
Longitude
31.83
Bible references
4
“the land of” (Gen. 47:11), was probably “the land of Goshen” (q.v.) 45:10. After the Hebrews had built Rameses, one of the “treasure cities,” it came to be known as the “land” in which that city was built.
The city bearing this name (Ex. 12:37) was probably identical with Zoan, which Rameses II. (“son of the sun”) rebuilt. It became his special residence, and ranked next in importance and magnificance to Thebes. Huge masses of bricks, made of Nile mud, sun-dried, some of them mixed with stubble, possibly moulded by Jewish hands, still mark the site of Rameses. This was the general rendezvous of the Israelites before they began their march out of Egypt. Called also Raamses (Ex. 1:11). 3
Source note: this 1893 dictionary language reflects its period and may be culturally insensitive or outdated. It is presented as historical source material, not as ai-BIBLE’s language, interpretation, or endorsement.
AI-assisted summary prepared for ai-BIBLE and stored as page content, based on dictionary material, place metadata, and linked Bible cross references.
Alistair de Blacquiere-Clarkson, “ai-BIBLE Bible Names JSON Factsheet Aggregating Material from Smith’s Bible Dictionary & Hitcocks’s New and Complete Analysis of the Bible.” ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
M.G.Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary, ai-BIBLE electronic edition, version 1.0.
Robert Rouse, “Theographic Bible Information,” Theographic-Bible-Metadata, 2020, https://github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata.