The mural from the Tomb of Rekmire is one of three important artifacts that shed light on the time of Israel’s enslavement in Egypt. Before we begin, it is important to note that during the New Kingdom in Egypt, slavery of Asiatics was so common that the Egyptian word Aamu (Asiatic) had come to be synonymous with slave.
The mural in the Tomb of Rekmire is from the time of Pharaoh Thutmose III. It clearly shows a variety of slaves, including Asiatic or Semitic slaves, performing tasks for the Egyptians. Of particular interest is the area which shows the slaves make bricks using mud and straw. (The mud and straw were formed in a mold, dried in the sun, and then transported for use in construction projects.) The mural also contains a hieroglyphic text about an Egyptian master reminding slaves to not be idle, lest they receive a beating with the rod. This is highly reminiscent of the encounter chronicled in Exodus 2:11 in which Moses saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave.
Another corroborating Egyptian artifact called the Louvre Leather Roll, describes a situation in this same time period in which quotas of bricks were imposed on slaves, but when they did not have the necessary materials to complete all of the bricks, such as a lack of straw, the slaves were punished. This exactly reflects exactly what happened in Exodus 5: 7-8.
Finally, there is the evidence found in numerous papyrus artifacts, notably Leningrad Papyrus 1116A from the 18th Dynasty (probably during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, prior to around 1450 BC). These accounts record that immigrant people were subjected to compulsory labor such as public building projects. It notes that this occurred after the expulsion of the Hyksos under Pharaoh Ahmose I and subsequent rulers. This coincides completely with the time of regime change to the 18th Dynasty and the subsequent policy of forced labor upon Asiatics and other non-Egyptians. As Exodus 1:8 sadly relates, “And there arose a new king who did not know Joseph…”
Conclusion
The Egyptian wall murals and documents clearly testify that Asiatics or Semites were subjected to forced labor on major construction projects in the cities of Rameses, Pithom, and On (Heliopolis).
