Archaeologists have found part of an ancient statue of an Egyptian pharaoh - it is estimated to weigh between five and six tonnes.

07:23, Fri, Apr 24, 2026 Updated: 07:31, Fri, Apr 24, 2026

The fragment of the statue is thought to depict Ramesses II

The fragment of the statue is thought to depict Ramesses II (Image: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

Archaeologists have found part of an ancient statue of an Egyptian pharaoh. According to many scholars, the pharaoh could be the Egyptian ruler mentioned in the Biblical account of Moses.

The fragment of statue is thought to depict Ramesses II, one of ancient Egypt's most powerful rulers. Many historians associate him with the pharaoh described in the Book of Exodus, who refused to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

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Part of the large statue, including its legs and base, were discovered at Tel Faraoun in Egypt's eastern Nile Delta, just northwest of the Red Sea, during ongoing excavations led by the country's Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Mail reported.

Site where the fragment was found

Site where the fragment was found (Image: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)

The fragment found stands about seven feet tall. It is estimated to weigh between five and six tonnes.

Parts of the statue are worn and damaged, but archaeologists said enough detail remains to link it to royal sculptures created during Egypt's New Kingdom period, which lasted from about 1550 to 1070 BC. Ramesses, who ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC, was known for his military power.

It has been suggested that the statue may not have originally been carved for the site where it was discovered and researchers believe it could have been transported from Pi-Ramesses, the grand royal city established by Ramesses II in the Nile Delta.

From there, experts suspect it was later moved to Tel Faraoun, known in antiquity as Emet, where it may have been reused inside a temple complex.

Ramesses is often identified as the biblical Pharaoh primarily due to Exodus 1:1, which mentions Hebrew slaves building the cities of Pithom and Raamses (Pi-Ramesses). These cities are believed to have been built under Ramesses II in the 13th century BCE.

That ancient city of Pi-Ramesses is believed to have been located in the same region of the eastern Nile Delta where the statue fragment was discovered.

While the Bible does not name the Pharaoh, this geographical link, combined with his long, dominant reign and the timing of the 19th Dynasty, makes him a popular historical candidate, often reinforced by popular media.

However, there is no direct archaeological evidence confirming the identity of the pharaoh described in the Book of Exodus.