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The Short Answer
The Bible never names him — and that's on purpose. On this timeline's early date (1446 BC), the strongest candidate is Amenhotep II. Scholars who place the Exodus later point to Ramesses II. The king who sneered *"Who is the LORD?"* goes unnamed — while the God he defied is named about 700 times in the book of Exodus.
How sure are we? Fairly sure — from the Bible, archaeology, and history
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The Two Dates
1446 BC · Early
Amenhotep II
1270 BC · Late
Ramesses II
c. 1450 BCMycenaean Greece rises
c. 1400 BCHittite empire peaks
c. 1274 BCBattle of Kadesh
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Key Scripture
tap any to read1 Kings 6:1 — the Bible's own anchor
Read →“In the four hundred eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt... Solomon began to build the LORD's house.”
Exodus 5:2
Read →“Who is the LORD, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don't know the LORD, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”
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Watch
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Two Ways Scholars See It
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The Word Behind It
פַּרְעֹה
par-o-eh — "Pharaoh"
"Great House" — a job title, like "the White House." Not his name. The Bible leaving him nameless is on purpose.
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From the Collection
The Exodus — 1446 BC
see it on the timeline
Moses
character profile · 1526–1406 BC
Pharaoh of the Exodus
character profile · died at the Red Sea
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Why It Matters
“The nameless Pharaoh is Scripture's quiet verdict: empires forget their kings, but heaven remembers a slave people. The question isn't which dynasty — it's which God.”
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