Pithom
LocationsGeographical Setting
An ancient Egyptian city in the eastern Nile Delta, identified with Tell el-Maskhuta, which served as a storage city for the pharaohs.
âš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
Pithom, derived from the Egyptian Pa-tum meaning 'House of Atum' or 'City of Atum', was a storage city constructed by Israelite laborers during the New Kingdom period, located at the archaeological site of Tell el-Maskhuta in the Wadi Tumilat.
What is the meaning of Pithom in the Bible?
Pithom, derived from the Egyptian Pa-tum meaning 'House of Atum' or 'City of Atum', was a storage city constructed by Israelite laborers during the New Kingdom period, located at the archaeological site of Tell el-Maskhuta in the Wadi Tumilat.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding the geography and administrative role of Pithom clarifies the logistical scale of the Israelite sojourn in Egypt and grounds the biblical narrative in the specific historical and political landscape of the Ramesside period.
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Source Attribution & Provenance
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.