Pithom

Pithom (meaning: their mouthful; a dilatation of the mouth) was one of the two "store cities" built by Israelite slave labor in Egypt before the Exodus, along with Rameses. Exodus 1:11 records that the Egyptians "set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Rameses." Pithom is identified by many scholars with Tell el-Maskhuta or Tell er-Retaba in the eastern delta region of Egypt, where archaeological excavations have found storage chambers and evidence of construction activity during the New Kingdom period. The city's establishment as a storage depot for military supplies reflects Egypt's expansion into the Sinai and Canaan during this era.