Land of Goshen

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The Land of Goshen (Hebrew גֹּשֶׁן, Standard Hebrew Góšen, Tiberian Hebrew Gōšen) is the region around the city with the modern name Fakus in the eastern Nile delta in Egypt referenced in the Biblical story of Joseph. In the Septuagint it is called Gesan, by Artapanus called Kessan, from Egyptian Pa-Kes.

The area is just a few kilometers south of the ancient capital of Avaris (Egyptian Hatwaret, where the later city of Pi-Rameses was built), where, from the 12th dynasty of Egypt, a major administrative headquarters was located. It was there that Joseph had his house, and where he was laid to rest.

According to Genesis 46:31-34:

Then Joseph said to his brothers and his father's household, "I will go up and speak to Pharaoh and will say to him, 'My brothers and my father's household, who were living in the land of Canaan, have come to me. The men are Shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' When Pharaoh calls you in and asks, 'What is your occupation?' you should answer, 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians."

Joseph was vizier for one or more pharaohs whose identity is not established with certainty, but some have cited evidence that these were Kakaure Senuseret III^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]} and his later co-regent Nimaatre Amenemhat III, who ruled from Avaris^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]}. Ahmed Osman has also identified Joseph as Yuya, minister to Tuthmosis IV and Amenhotep III^{[[Citing sources citation needed]]}.

From Genesis 45:10, Goshen appears to have been a part of Egypt near the palace of Joseph's Pharaoh, who was possibly of the 19th dynasty, and resided part of the year at Memphis, and during harvest time at Avaris, on the Bubastite or Pelusiac branch of the Nile River. Goshen was probably the province of Egypt nearest Canaan.

Traditionally, the Israelites lived there in peace for 400 years, until a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8) and reduced them to slavery. The Israelite sojourn in Egypt is sometimes said to have lasted 210 years.

The identity of the pharaoh of the Exodus is likewise uncertain; the prevalent view among scholars today is that it was either Merneptah or his predecessor Ramses II, but others have been suggested as well, including Thutmose III or his son Amenhotep II, or Horemheb and Ramses I, as stated by Ahmed Osman.

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