This beautiful π€ faience π£πππΈπΌ piece is a foundation deposit brick with the cartouche of pharaoh ππ» Rameses II π³ππ§π³ππ written on it (19th Dynasty, c. 1279β1213 B.C.E.). I chose this piece for today, because Rameses II π³ππ§π³ππ is thought to possibly be the pharaoh ππ» of the Exodus – there are many theories as to who the pharaoh ππ» was that is mentioned in The Bible by Moses. The pharaoh ππ» of the Exodus is only referred to as βthe pharaohβ in The Bible and not by name ππ, so historians and religious scholars can only make inferences based on The Bible and archaeological evidence.
It is all so fascinating and based on my research, I believe that the evidence lines up to Rameses II π³ππ§π³ππ being the pharaoh ππ» of the Exodus. Some of the specific references made in the text of Exodus seems to line up really well with the 19th Dynasty time period. Some scholars disagree and think the Exodus happened at a later time period, some believe it happened earlier.
Why would there be no historical record of the Exodus in writings πππ₯ from Egypt ππ ππ? Egyptian writing was full of propaganda and only the good stuff was mentioned. Something like the Exodus would have been kept on the down-low.
Foundation deposit bricks were ceremonial offerings that were placed at the corners of buildings, courts, temples ππππ¦ , tombs ππ«πππ¦, and pretty much the foundation of any building. They can almost be thought of as the ancient version of a ground-breaking ceremony. The foundation deposit bricks usually contained the cartouche of the pharaoh ππ» that the building was constructed under on it! Iβm the early dynastic times, foundation deposits took the form of pottery, but later evolved into different versions of what you see pictured ππ ±π!