Bible Dictionary
Rameses, Or Raamses
Rameses, or Raamses, was an Egyptian city and district connected with the Israelites’ forced labor and departure from Egypt. It was one of Pharaoh’s store-cities.
Definition
Rameses, or Raamses, was a city and district of Lower Egypt. It was one of the store-cities built for the Pharaoh who oppressed the Israelites.
Biblical Usage
Rameses is named as a place where the Israelites lived, from which they departed, and where they had been compelled to build for Pharaoh.
Historical Background
The district probably corresponded to the land of Goshen or formed part of it. Proposed locations include Tell Ramsis near Belbeis and Zoan-Tanis at modern San.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(child of the sun), a city and district of lower Egypt. (Genesis 47:11; Exodus 12:37; Numbers 33:3,5) This land of Rameses either corresponds to the land of Goshen or was a district of it, more probably the former. The city was one of the two store-cities built for the Pharaoh who first oppressed the children of Israel. (Exodus 1:11) (It was probably the capital of Goshen and situated in the valley of the Pelusiac mouth of the Nile. McClintock and Strong say that its location is indicated by the present Tell Ramsis, a quadrangular mound near Belbeis. Dr. Brugsch thinks that it was at Zoan-Tanis, the modern San, on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, and that it was built or enlarged by Rameses II and made his capital.—ED.)