Map 048 · The Patriarchs & the Exodus · Genesis 45:10

The Land of Goshen

The fertile eastern Delta where Israel lived, multiplied, and was enslaved for four hundred years — between the Nile and the Sinai border

"And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast."

— Genesis 45:10 (KJV)

Map of Lower Egypt About 1440 BC with Biblical Names showing the Geography of the Exodus — the Nile Delta with Zoan (Rameses/Tanis) and Tanis highlighted in red, Pithom at Tel el Maskhutah, Succoth, Etham, Pi-hahiroth, Migdal, Marah and Ayun Musa marked in red along the Exodus route, the Wilderness of Etham, the Gulf of Suez, Memphis, Cairo, and the Pyramids.

"About 1440 B.C. — Lower Egypt, Biblical Names — Geography of the Exodus." The map shows the Nile Delta with the store-cities of Pithom (Tel el Maskhutah) and Rameses (Zoan/Tanis), the Exodus route in red through Succoth, Etham, Pi-hahiroth, and Marah, with the Gulf of Suez and the Wilderness of Etham clearly labeled.

Source: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary by Michael Knighton · Christians Standing With Israel

🗺 How to Read This Map

① Goshen — the Eastern Delta — On this map, the Land of Goshen corresponds to the eastern portion of the Nile Delta — the area running from roughly Tel Basta (Pi-Bast/Bubastis) eastward toward the Sinai border. Note 'Canal of the Wady Tumilat' labeled in this area — this fertile valley running east from the Delta was the heartland of Goshen, watered by a canal connecting the Nile to the Bitter Lakes.

② Zoan / Rameses — The Capital Nearby — Find 'Zoan' highlighted in red near the top of the map. Zoan is identified with Tanis and likely with the store-city of Rameses that Israel was later forced to build. It sits just north of Goshen, explaining why Joseph said his family would be 'near unto me' — the royal court was within easy reach of the Israelite settlement.

③ Tel el Maskhutah — Pithom — Find 'Tel el Maskhutah' labeled in the central Delta area near 'Succoth.' This site is the leading archaeological candidate for Pithom — one of the two store-cities the enslaved Israelites built for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). Excavations here found large brick storage chambers consistent with the biblical description of treasure cities.

④ The Eastern Border — Note how the map shows the transition from the Nile Delta to the desert at the right edge — the Wilderness of Etham and the Sinai border. This was Israel's eastern boundary in Goshen. The 'Way of the Philistines' runs along the northern coast, and the 'Way of Shur' heads southeast toward Sinai. These are the routes Israel would eventually need to navigate at the Exodus.

What This Map Shows

✦ The Wady Tumilat canal — Goshen's waterway

✦ Zoan (Rameses/Tanis) — store-city nearby

✦ Tel el Maskhutah (Pithom) — store-city site

✦ Succoth — first Exodus stopping point

✦ The Wilderness of Etham — eastern border

✦ The Way of the Philistines — northern coastal road

✦ The Way of Shur — route to Sinai

✦ Memphis and the Pyramids — to the south

Four Hundred Years in a Foreign Land

The Land of Goshen is one of the most geographically specific regions named in the patriarchal narratives — and this map gives you a precise picture of where it was. Look at the eastern Nile Delta. The Canal of the Wady Tumilat runs through the center — this fertile valley, watered by a branch of the Nile, is the likely heartland of Goshen. It was ideal for shepherds and their flocks. The ground was green. Water was abundant. The distance from the royal court at Zoan/Tanis was manageable.

When the family of seventy arrived, Pharaoh was welcoming. Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt. The Hyksos Pharaohs — themselves Semitic immigrants who had seized power in Egypt — may have been particularly open to other Semitic peoples settling in the Delta. The Israelites thrived. Genesis 47:27 records: "And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly." This was God's promise to Jacob at Beer-sheba being fulfilled: "I will there make of thee a great nation."

But Exodus 1:8 introduces the turn with one of the most chilling phrases in Scripture: "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." The Hyksos were expelled from Egypt around 1550 BC, and native Egyptian dynasties regained power. To a new Pharaoh, the Israelites were not guests — they were a demographic threat. "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply... and... fight against us" (Exodus 1:9–10). The taskmasters were appointed. The bricks had to be made without straw. The male infants were ordered killed.

Find Tel el Maskhutah on the map — "Succoth" is labeled nearby. This is the likely site of Pithom, one of the two store-cities Israel built with forced labor. The Nile Delta you are looking at was built, in significant part, by Israelite slaves. For four hundred years — from Jacob's arrival to the Exodus — this fertile corner of Egypt was both the cradle and the prison of God's chosen people. The very abundance that made Goshen desirable also made it a trap.

Key Scripture References

Genesis 45:9–10 — Joseph assigns Goshen to his family

Genesis 47:1–6 — Pharaoh confirms Goshen as Israel's land

Genesis 47:27 — Israel multiplies exceedingly in Goshen

Exodus 1:7–14 — A new Pharaoh; slavery begins

Exodus 1:11 — Pithom and Rameses built with forced labor

Exodus 12:37 — Israel departs from Rameses at the Exodus

Map: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary: © 2026 Michael Wayne Knighton | Christians Standing With Israel™ | All Rights Reserved.

←

MAP 047

Jacob's Family Descends to Egypt

MAP 049

The Cities of the Exodus →

Map 048 · The Patriarchs & the Exodus · Genesis 45:10

The Land of Goshen

The fertile eastern Delta where Israel lived, multiplied, and was enslaved for four hundred years — between the Nile and the Sinai border

"And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast."

— Genesis 45:10 (KJV)

"About 1440 B.C. — Lower Egypt, Biblical Names — Geography of the Exodus." The map shows the Nile Delta with the store-cities of Pithom (Tel el Maskhutah) and Rameses (Zoan/Tanis), the Exodus route in red through Succoth, Etham, Pi-hahiroth, and Marah, with the Gulf of Suez and the Wilderness of Etham clearly labeled.

Source: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary by Michael Knighton · Christians Standing With Israel

🗺 How to Read This Map

① Goshen — the Eastern Delta — On this map, the Land of Goshen corresponds to the eastern portion of the Nile Delta — the area running from roughly Tel Basta (Pi-Bast/Bubastis) eastward toward the Sinai border. Note 'Canal of the Wady Tumilat' labeled in this area — this fertile valley running east from the Delta was the heartland of Goshen, watered by a canal connecting the Nile to the Bitter Lakes.

② Zoan / Rameses — The Capital Nearby — Find 'Zoan' highlighted in red near the top of the map. Zoan is identified with Tanis and likely with the store-city of Rameses that Israel was later forced to build. It sits just north of Goshen, explaining why Joseph said his family would be 'near unto me' — the royal court was within easy reach of the Israelite settlement.

③ Tel el Maskhutah — Pithom — Find 'Tel el Maskhutah' labeled in the central Delta area near 'Succoth.' This site is the leading archaeological candidate for Pithom — one of the two store-cities the enslaved Israelites built for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). Excavations here found large brick storage chambers consistent with the biblical description of treasure cities.

④ The Eastern Border — Note how the map shows the transition from the Nile Delta to the desert at the right edge — the Wilderness of Etham and the Sinai border. This was Israel's eastern boundary in Goshen. The 'Way of the Philistines' runs along the northern coast, and the 'Way of Shur' heads southeast toward Sinai. These are the routes Israel would eventually need to navigate at the Exodus.

What This Map Shows

✦ The Wady Tumilat canal — Goshen's waterway

✦ Zoan (Rameses/Tanis) — store-city nearby

✦ Tel el Maskhutah (Pithom) — store-city site

✦ Succoth — first Exodus stopping point

✦ The Wilderness of Etham — eastern border

✦ The Way of the Philistines — northern coastal road

✦ The Way of Shur — route to Sinai

✦ Memphis and the Pyramids — to the south

Four Hundred Years in a Foreign Land

The Land of Goshen is one of the most geographically specific regions named in the patriarchal narratives — and this map gives you a precise picture of where it was. Look at the eastern Nile Delta. The Canal of the Wady Tumilat runs through the center — this fertile valley, watered by a branch of the Nile, is the likely heartland of Goshen. It was ideal for shepherds and their flocks. The ground was green. Water was abundant. The distance from the royal court at Zoan/Tanis was manageable.

When the family of seventy arrived, Pharaoh was welcoming. Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt. The Hyksos Pharaohs — themselves Semitic immigrants who had seized power in Egypt — may have been particularly open to other Semitic peoples settling in the Delta. The Israelites thrived. Genesis 47:27 records: "And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly." This was God's promise to Jacob at Beer-sheba being fulfilled: "I will there make of thee a great nation."

But Exodus 1:8 introduces the turn with one of the most chilling phrases in Scripture: "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." The Hyksos were expelled from Egypt around 1550 BC, and native Egyptian dynasties regained power. To a new Pharaoh, the Israelites were not guests — they were a demographic threat. "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply... and... fight against us" (Exodus 1:9–10). The taskmasters were appointed. The bricks had to be made without straw. The male infants were ordered killed.

Find Tel el Maskhutah on the map — "Succoth" is labeled nearby. This is the likely site of Pithom, one of the two store-cities Israel built with forced labor. The Nile Delta you are looking at was built, in significant part, by Israelite slaves. For four hundred years — from Jacob's arrival to the Exodus — this fertile corner of Egypt was both the cradle and the prison of God's chosen people. The very abundance that made Goshen desirable also made it a trap.

Key Scripture References

Genesis 45:9–10 — Joseph assigns Goshen to his family

Genesis 47:1–6 — Pharaoh confirms Goshen as Israel's land

Genesis 47:27 — Israel multiplies exceedingly in Goshen

Exodus 1:7–14 — A new Pharaoh; slavery begins

Exodus 1:11 — Pithom and Rameses built with forced labor

Exodus 12:37 — Israel departs from Rameses at the Exodus

Map: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary: © 2026 Michael Wayne Knighton | Christians Standing With Israel™ | All Rights Reserved.

←

MAP 047

Jacob's Family Descends to Egypt

MAP 049

The Cities of the Exodus →

Map 048 · The Patriarchs & the Exodus · Genesis 45:10

The Land of Goshen

The fertile eastern Delta where Israel lived, multiplied, and was enslaved for four hundred years — between the Nile and the Sinai border

"And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast."

— Genesis 45:10 (KJV)

"About 1440 B.C. — Lower Egypt, Biblical Names — Geography of the Exodus." The map shows the Nile Delta with the store-cities of Pithom (Tel el Maskhutah) and Rameses (Zoan/Tanis), the Exodus route in red through Succoth, Etham, Pi-hahiroth, and Marah, with the Gulf of Suez and the Wilderness of Etham clearly labeled.

Source: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary by Michael Knighton · Christians Standing With Israel

🗺 How to Read This Map

① Goshen — the Eastern Delta — On this map, the Land of Goshen corresponds to the eastern portion of the Nile Delta — the area running from roughly Tel Basta (Pi-Bast/Bubastis) eastward toward the Sinai border. Note 'Canal of the Wady Tumilat' labeled in this area — this fertile valley running east from the Delta was the heartland of Goshen, watered by a canal connecting the Nile to the Bitter Lakes.

② Zoan / Rameses — The Capital Nearby — Find 'Zoan' highlighted in red near the top of the map. Zoan is identified with Tanis and likely with the store-city of Rameses that Israel was later forced to build. It sits just north of Goshen, explaining why Joseph said his family would be 'near unto me' — the royal court was within easy reach of the Israelite settlement.

③ Tel el Maskhutah — Pithom — Find 'Tel el Maskhutah' labeled in the central Delta area near 'Succoth.' This site is the leading archaeological candidate for Pithom — one of the two store-cities the enslaved Israelites built for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). Excavations here found large brick storage chambers consistent with the biblical description of treasure cities.

④ The Eastern Border — Note how the map shows the transition from the Nile Delta to the desert at the right edge — the Wilderness of Etham and the Sinai border. This was Israel's eastern boundary in Goshen. The 'Way of the Philistines' runs along the northern coast, and the 'Way of Shur' heads southeast toward Sinai. These are the routes Israel would eventually need to navigate at the Exodus.

What This Map Shows

✦ The Wady Tumilat canal — Goshen's waterway

✦ Zoan (Rameses/Tanis) — store-city nearby

✦ Tel el Maskhutah (Pithom) — store-city site

✦ Succoth — first Exodus stopping point

✦ The Wilderness of Etham — eastern border

✦ The Way of the Philistines — northern coastal road

✦ The Way of Shur — route to Sinai

✦ Memphis and the Pyramids — to the south

Four Hundred Years in a Foreign Land

The Land of Goshen is one of the most geographically specific regions named in the patriarchal narratives — and this map gives you a precise picture of where it was. Look at the eastern Nile Delta. The Canal of the Wady Tumilat runs through the center — this fertile valley, watered by a branch of the Nile, is the likely heartland of Goshen. It was ideal for shepherds and their flocks. The ground was green. Water was abundant. The distance from the royal court at Zoan/Tanis was manageable.

When the family of seventy arrived, Pharaoh was welcoming. Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt. The Hyksos Pharaohs — themselves Semitic immigrants who had seized power in Egypt — may have been particularly open to other Semitic peoples settling in the Delta. The Israelites thrived. Genesis 47:27 records: "And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly." This was God's promise to Jacob at Beer-sheba being fulfilled: "I will there make of thee a great nation."

But Exodus 1:8 introduces the turn with one of the most chilling phrases in Scripture: "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." The Hyksos were expelled from Egypt around 1550 BC, and native Egyptian dynasties regained power. To a new Pharaoh, the Israelites were not guests — they were a demographic threat. "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply... and... fight against us" (Exodus 1:9–10). The taskmasters were appointed. The bricks had to be made without straw. The male infants were ordered killed.

Find Tel el Maskhutah on the map — "Succoth" is labeled nearby. This is the likely site of Pithom, one of the two store-cities Israel built with forced labor. The Nile Delta you are looking at was built, in significant part, by Israelite slaves. For four hundred years — from Jacob's arrival to the Exodus — this fertile corner of Egypt was both the cradle and the prison of God's chosen people. The very abundance that made Goshen desirable also made it a trap.

Key Scripture References

Genesis 45:9–10 — Joseph assigns Goshen to his family

Genesis 47:1–6 — Pharaoh confirms Goshen as Israel's land

Genesis 47:27 — Israel multiplies exceedingly in Goshen

Exodus 1:7–14 — A new Pharaoh; slavery begins

Exodus 1:11 — Pithom and Rameses built with forced labor

Exodus 12:37 — Israel departs from Rameses at the Exodus

Map: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary: © 2026 Michael Wayne Knighton | Christians Standing With Israel™ | All Rights Reserved.

←

MAP 047

Jacob's Family Descends to Egypt

MAP 049

The Cities of the Exodus →

Map 048 · The Patriarchs & the Exodus · Genesis 45:10

The Land of Goshen

The fertile eastern Delta where Israel lived, multiplied, and was enslaved for four hundred years — between the Nile and the Sinai border

"And thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast."

— Genesis 45:10 (KJV)

"About 1440 B.C. — Lower Egypt, Biblical Names — Geography of the Exodus." The map shows the Nile Delta with the store-cities of Pithom (Tel el Maskhutah) and Rameses (Zoan/Tanis), the Exodus route in red through Succoth, Etham, Pi-hahiroth, and Marah, with the Gulf of Suez and the Wilderness of Etham clearly labeled.

Source: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary by Michael Knighton · Christians Standing With Israel

🗺 How to Read This Map

① Goshen — the Eastern Delta — On this map, the Land of Goshen corresponds to the eastern portion of the Nile Delta — the area running from roughly Tel Basta (Pi-Bast/Bubastis) eastward toward the Sinai border. Note 'Canal of the Wady Tumilat' labeled in this area — this fertile valley running east from the Delta was the heartland of Goshen, watered by a canal connecting the Nile to the Bitter Lakes.

② Zoan / Rameses — The Capital Nearby — Find 'Zoan' highlighted in red near the top of the map. Zoan is identified with Tanis and likely with the store-city of Rameses that Israel was later forced to build. It sits just north of Goshen, explaining why Joseph said his family would be 'near unto me' — the royal court was within easy reach of the Israelite settlement.

③ Tel el Maskhutah — Pithom — Find 'Tel el Maskhutah' labeled in the central Delta area near 'Succoth.' This site is the leading archaeological candidate for Pithom — one of the two store-cities the enslaved Israelites built for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). Excavations here found large brick storage chambers consistent with the biblical description of treasure cities.

④ The Eastern Border — Note how the map shows the transition from the Nile Delta to the desert at the right edge — the Wilderness of Etham and the Sinai border. This was Israel's eastern boundary in Goshen. The 'Way of the Philistines' runs along the northern coast, and the 'Way of Shur' heads southeast toward Sinai. These are the routes Israel would eventually need to navigate at the Exodus.

What This Map Shows

✦ The Wady Tumilat canal — Goshen's waterway

✦ Zoan (Rameses/Tanis) — store-city nearby

✦ Tel el Maskhutah (Pithom) — store-city site

✦ Succoth — first Exodus stopping point

✦ The Wilderness of Etham — eastern border

✦ The Way of the Philistines — northern coastal road

✦ The Way of Shur — route to Sinai

✦ Memphis and the Pyramids — to the south

Four Hundred Years in a Foreign Land

The Land of Goshen is one of the most geographically specific regions named in the patriarchal narratives — and this map gives you a precise picture of where it was. Look at the eastern Nile Delta. The Canal of the Wady Tumilat runs through the center — this fertile valley, watered by a branch of the Nile, is the likely heartland of Goshen. It was ideal for shepherds and their flocks. The ground was green. Water was abundant. The distance from the royal court at Zoan/Tanis was manageable.

When the family of seventy arrived, Pharaoh was welcoming. Joseph was the second most powerful man in Egypt. The Hyksos Pharaohs — themselves Semitic immigrants who had seized power in Egypt — may have been particularly open to other Semitic peoples settling in the Delta. The Israelites thrived. Genesis 47:27 records: "And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly." This was God's promise to Jacob at Beer-sheba being fulfilled: "I will there make of thee a great nation."

But Exodus 1:8 introduces the turn with one of the most chilling phrases in Scripture: "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." The Hyksos were expelled from Egypt around 1550 BC, and native Egyptian dynasties regained power. To a new Pharaoh, the Israelites were not guests — they were a demographic threat. "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply... and... fight against us" (Exodus 1:9–10). The taskmasters were appointed. The bricks had to be made without straw. The male infants were ordered killed.

Find Tel el Maskhutah on the map — "Succoth" is labeled nearby. This is the likely site of Pithom, one of the two store-cities Israel built with forced labor. The Nile Delta you are looking at was built, in significant part, by Israelite slaves. For four hundred years — from Jacob's arrival to the Exodus — this fertile corner of Egypt was both the cradle and the prison of God's chosen people. The very abundance that made Goshen desirable also made it a trap.

Key Scripture References

Genesis 45:9–10 — Joseph assigns Goshen to his family

Genesis 47:1–6 — Pharaoh confirms Goshen as Israel's land

Genesis 47:27 — Israel multiplies exceedingly in Goshen

Exodus 1:7–14 — A new Pharaoh; slavery begins

Exodus 1:11 — Pithom and Rameses built with forced labor

Exodus 12:37 — Israel departs from Rameses at the Exodus

Map: Maccoun, The Holy Land in Geography and in History (1899). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. · Historical commentary: © 2026 Michael Wayne Knighton | Christians Standing With Israel™ | All Rights Reserved.

←

MAP 047

Jacob's Family Descends to Egypt

MAP 049

The Cities of the Exodus →