A new pharaoh arises in Egypt who does not remember Joseph and enslaves the Israelites because they are becoming too numerous. He forces them to work on building store cities of Pithom and Ramses, making bricks out of mud and straw.

Professor James Hoffmeyer focuses on the first half of the New Kingdom and finds evidence supporting the idea of Israelite slavery. In the tomb of Reshmirei, he finds a depiction of semitic prisoners of war from Canaan and Syria making bricks in southern Egypt overseen by Egyptian taskmasters.

He also finds evidence of agricultural work being done by prisoners of war. While this evidence supports the presence of semitic slaves doing the right types of work, it does not match the Bible's account of the early Israelites.

David Roll points to a different set of evidence that fits the pattern found in Egypt's Middle Kingdom. He finds graves with deterioration in the quality of life, indicating famine and a shortage of food and nutrients. He also finds larger houses designed in an Egyptian style with smaller houses attached to them, indicating the presence of servant houses. Papyri with lists of slaves with semitic names on them are also found at this time.