Army of a Pharaoh of Egypt And Their Organization

 Nadene Goldfoot                                           

 Moses saved the Israelite slaves after their 400 years of being held against their will.  One of the tasks the Israelite slaves were pressed into was making bricks (Ex 5:7-8). When Moses petitioned Pharaoh to let God’s people go, Pharaoh responded making their labor more difficult (Ex 5:6-18). The biblical description of slaves making bricks is affirmed by a painting in the tomb of Rehkmire (ca. 1470-1445 BC), the vizier of Egypt under Thutmose III and Amenhotep II. The painting depicts Nubian and Asiatic slaves (Egyptians called people from Canaan “Asiatics”) making bricks for the workshops of the Karnak Temple.21 Slaves are seen collecting and mixing mud and water, packing the mud in brick molds, and leaving them to dry in the sun. Nearby Egyptian officials, each with a rod, oversee the work.                

Moses observed a slave being beaten by a rod and had to fight the Egyptian master in order to stop him, and he accidently killed him.  He knew he had to leave or be punished in return (perhaps also killed).  He left for the wilderness.                                        

    Egyptian army chasing after Israelites after Pharaoh changed his mind from freeing them or keeping them in slavery.  

Pharaoh's army was organized into large, distinct divisions that marched in columns, with skirmishers ahead and a long baggage train bringing up the rear. For major campaigns, such as the famous Battle of Kadesh under Ramesses II, the army was formally divided into four divisions, each named for a god. 

In the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt, during the time of Moses, a division of the pharaoh's army typically consisted of about 5,000 soldiers. These divisions were named after prominent Egyptian gods and included infantry, archers, and chariotry. 

The 5,000 soldiers in each division were further organized into smaller units:

• Companies: Each division contained approximately 20 companies, with each company made up of about 250 soldiers. These were commanded by captains.
• Platoons: Companies were then subdivided into platoons of 10 men.
• Chariot squadrons: Chariot forces were organized into squadrons, with each one consisting of 50 chariots. 

According to the biblical story of the Exodus, Pharaoh's army marched north to pursue the Israelites to the Sea of Reeds, where they were trapped against the water. The exact location of the crossing is debated, but they were overtaken near Pi-hahiroth, opposite Baal-zephon. 

• Biblical account: Exodus 14:7 states that Pharaoh took "six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them".   The overall size of the pursuing army is not stated and has been estimated based on various factors.  
• Historians of ancient Egypt estimate that the army of a pharaoh like Ramesses II (c. 1300 BCE), who many scholars associate with the Exodus narrative, had more than 100,000 soldiers. 
• Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, provided a larger number, writing of 50,000 horsemen and 200,000 footmen; total=250,000.  
• As for the Israelites on the Exodus; The Bible says there were approximately 600,000 men of fighting age among the Israelites during the Exodus in several passages, most notably Exodus 12:37 and Numbers 1:46. Specifically, the book of Numbers provides the precise figure of 603,550 men aged 20 and older in a census taken shortly after they left Egypt.  
• Exodus 12:37: States, "The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. About six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children".The exact number of miles is not known, but scholarly and traditional sources estimate the distance between Rameses and Succoth to be between 110 and 150 miles. Some sources suggest a much shorter distance of about eight miles, depending on the specific locations of Rameses and Succoth, while others use a different unit of measure (like parasangs) to arrive at different mileage estimates. 110-150 miles: The commentary by Rashi on Exodus 12:37 suggests a distance of 110 miles, while another interpretation from the Mechilta d'Rabbi Yishmael cites 149 miles (40 parasangs).
• Walking 110 miles with a large group could take anywhere from 2 to 11 days, depending on factors like fitness level, terrain, pace, and weather. A reasonable daily distance for a group with moderate fitness is about 10-15 miles per day, which would put the total time between 7 and 11 days. However, a very fit group could potentially complete the walk in as little as 2-3 days by averaging 35-55 miles per day. 
• Numbers 1:46: Provides a specific census total: "All those who were numbered were 603,550".  This was not counting the Levites, or women and children.  
• Numbers 26:51: Records a later census, near the Jordan River, showing the number of men aged 20 and older was 601,730. After 40 years of traveling, they had a loss of 1,820 from their original 603,550 counted. There were births, deaths, and fighting going on with the Amalakites  that kept the population number down.  
  
•                                Amalek: Amalekites
• In Exodus 17, while the Israelites were traveling in the desert after escaping Egypt, the Amalekites, a nomadic folk between S. Eretz and Canaan, attacked in the desert,  attacked them without provocation at Rephidim. They would be at the end of the line of people and pick off the crippled and elderly.  
• Joshua led the Israelite army into battle. At the same time, Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to a hilltop. They were always hostile to Israelites.  
• As long as Moses held his staff and kept his arms raised, the Israelites were winning. When his arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur helped him hold them up until sunset.
• The Israelites, led by Joshua, eventually defeated the Amalekite army.
• After the victory, God declared that he would "utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven" and would have "war with Amalek from generation to generation"
• Resource:
• https://owlcation.com/humanities/ancient-egyptian-battle-tactics
•  https://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/pinpointing-the-exodus-from-egypt/