THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Ramesse is interpreted by some as chaotic excitement or the bitterness associated with the consumption of pests, yet I contend that its most accurate translation is the celestial joy of thunder. To this city, situated at the border, gathered those desiring to venture into the wilderness, seeking liberation from worldly anxieties, former vices, and the consuming afflictions of sin. They came to listen to the voice of God ringing from Mount Sinai, transforming all sorrow into joy. The divine utterances and proclamations of the Holy Scriptures during this age are referred to as thunder, as evident from the Psalmist’s declaration: “the voice of your thunder in the wheels” (Psalm 76:19). Those who witnessed the voice of God the Father at the baptism of the Messiah perceived it as thunder.
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Awakened by the proclamation of the gospel and stirred by the thunder of joy, we set forth in the first month when "winter is past, and the rain is over and gone" (Song of Songs 2:11), marking the arrival of spring, as the earth revitalizes and all creation is renewed. We embark on the fifteenth day of the first month (Ex. 12), following the path of the Passover, accompanied by the brilliance of the full moon. Having partaken of the unblemished lamb and, as the apostle instructs, having shod our feet and secured our waist with truth (Eph. 6:14, 15), we hold rods in hand. While we commemorated the Passover on the fourteenth day in Egypt, a radiant light now illuminates our journey as we depart from Ramesses. This place is deemed exalted for having triumphed over Egypt and for its role in rescuing Israel before the astonished Egyptians, who are tormented by their animosity and seek to detain us, only to perish in their pursuit.