Does a recently uncovered Ancient Egyptian workshop point to the Bible's Moses story?

A newly-discovered archaeological site in the South Sinai provides a new understanding of the lives of the Ancient Egyptians, authorities have said, while others believe it provides evidence of the biblical story of Moses.

The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities recently announced the discovery of remnants of an Ancient Egyptian settlement at Wadi al-Nasb in the South Sinai region, with evidence of copper smelting facilities and other important artefacts.

The smelting workshop fits with previous discoveries of copper mining in the area, which shows advanced knowledge of extracting and exploiting the metal and lies close to the biblical exodus route of the Israelites, leading some to link the sites to Bible stories.

"This adds a new dimension to our understanding of the history of industrial and mining activity in ancient Egypt," said the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The Bible does mention Israelites working in mining during their years in captivity in Ancient Egypt before being led to freedom, through the Sinai, by Moses.

Among the finds were a group of watchtowers, which were converted into copper smelting workshops and centres for mining operations during Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom period, The Daily Mail reported.

Proto-Israelite inscriptions have also been found in the area, which some believe adds further evidence to the belief that enslaved Israelites laboured in the area.

Discoveries of ancient sites in the region often spark claims of proofs of the Bible narratives, particularly among Evangelical Christians. The Egyptian ministry did not say however that there was any link in the findings to the Bible narrative.