Pi-Ramesses was an Ancient Egyptian city built by Pharaoh Ramesses I (r. 1292-1290 BC) to serve as his summer palace. The area once served as the residence of Joseph and his family, but, after the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites, the Israelites were forced to build the city of Pi-Ramesses. Pharaoh Seti I resided in Pi-Ramesses during the summer, and Ramesses II was born in the city in 1303 BC. Ramesses II moved Egypt's capital to Pi-Ramesses due to its proximity to the Egyptian vassal states in Canaan and the front lines with the hostile Hittites, enabling him to receive intelligence and diplomatic missions quickly; he could also rapidly mobilize his army to deal with Hittite or shasu incursions. Pi-Ramesses came to have a population of 300,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in Egypt. The demise of Egyptian authority abroad after the death of Pharaoh Ramesses III led to Pi-Ramesses' decline in significance and the royal family's decision to move out of the city. Pharaoh Shoshenq I, who sought to emulate Ramesses with his campaigns into the Levant, briefly moved the capital back to Pi-Ramesses.
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