Archaeologists uncover massive artifact depicting pharaoh thought to have challenged Moses in Exodus

Archaeologists successful Egypt precocious uncovered a monolithic statue believed to picture King Ramses II, the pharoah believed to beryllium a large quality successful the Old Testament.

The statue was recovered astatine the Tel Pharaoh tract successful Husseiniya Center, Sharqia Governorate, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said connected April 22. The tract is successful Egypt's Nile Delta, northeast of Cairo.

Officials besides described the statue arsenic "remarkable" successful size, weighing betwixt 5 and 6 tons and measuring implicit 7 feet long.

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In a translated statement, the ministry described the statue arsenic being successful a "relatively mediocre information of preservation," with its legs and basal missing.

Still, officials described the statue arsenic "likely represent[ing] King Ramses II."

The statue is believed to picture Ramses II, a ruler often linked by historians to Moses and the Exodus story. The excavation tract is seen astatine left. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; Rischgitz/Getty Images)

Ramesses II, calved successful 1303 B.C., is considered 1 of the astir influential and almighty Egyptian rulers of the New Kingdom era.

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The pharaoh is often cited by scholars arsenic a imaginable ruler referenced successful the biblical Book of Exodus, though nary sanction is fixed successful the Old Testament.

Ramesses II is said to person retaliated against Moses and refused his requests, which resulted successful a bid of plagues. He died successful 1213 B.C.

Officials said the statue was discovered astatine the Tel Pharaoh tract and whitethorn picture Ramses II. (Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Egyptian antiquities authoritative Mohamed Abdel Badie said the statue was apt moved successful past times and reused astatine the site.

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"[P]reliminary studies bespeak the statue was transported successful past times from the metropolis of Pi-Ramesses to the Tel Pharaoh site, known successful past times arsenic 'Imet,' to beryllium reused wrong 1 of the spiritual complexes, reflecting the spiritual and humanities value of the tract crossed antithetic periods," said Badie.

The connection besides described the statue arsenic "one of the important archaeological pieces of grounds that shed airy connected aspects of spiritual and royal enactment successful the eastbound Delta region."

The biblical relationship describes Moses challenging a pharaoh, whom immoderate scholars place arsenic Ramses II. (Culture Club/Getty Images)

"As portion of efforts to sphere this discovery, the statue was instantly transferred upon its find from wrong the temple analyzable astatine the tract to the depository retention installation successful the San El-Hagar area," the connection noted.

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The determination was "in mentation for the commencement of precise and urgent restoration work, successful accordance with the highest technological standards followed successful the conservation and preservation of antiquities."

The find adds to a increasing database of archaeological discoveries precocious announced crossed Egypt.

Ramses II, calved successful 1303 B.C., is wide considered 1 of past Egypt's astir influential rulers. (Prisma/UIG/Getty Images)

In precocious March, officials revealed 8 uncommon papyrus scrolls dating backmost astir 3,000 years, with their contents inactive unknown.

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Officials besides precocious unveiled the remains of an past spiritual analyzable successful North Sinai, a tract often identified with a biblical metropolis mentioned successful the Old Testament.