This past week on the news, there was a report of how the pyramids in Egypt were built by Egyptians, and they were paid for their services.

Were they paid union scale?
That report does not agree with GOD's word. This is a perfect reason to go back to the Book of Exodus in the Holy Scriptures, again. You do not have to ask what I believe. You already know. The Exodus did happen, and it happened by means of the hand of GOD. The wilderness is where GOD again manifested His Shechinah, His divine glory.
Quote:
The Complete Jewish Bible Exodus (Sh'mot) 13:21-22
13:21 ADONAI went ahead of them in a column of cloud during the daytime to lead them on their way, and at night in a column of fire to give them light; thus they could travel both by day and by night. 13:22 Neither the column of cloud by day nor the column of fire at night went away from in front of the people.
For 40 years, the cloud and the fire remained with the Hebrews. Let's look at Mount Sinai.
Quote:
Exodus 24:15-18
15 Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountain top. 18 Moses entered the midst of the cloud as he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
Is this saying that when Moses entered the cloud, "the sons of Israel" saw him enter a consuming fire?

There was a time when the fire and the cloud combined into one, where the Egyptian army had darkness in a cloud. That same pillar had the light of fire on the opposite side.
Quote:
Exodus 14:19 KJV
19 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness [to them], but it gave light by night [to these]: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
Nehemiah Neh 9:18-19 KJV
18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; 19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.
Quote:
Num 9:15 NASB Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle, until morning. 16 So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it {by day,} and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp.
18 At the command of the LORD the sons of Israel would set out, and at the command of the LORD they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped. 19 Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel would keep the LORD'S charge and not set out. 20 If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of the LORD they remained camped. Then according to the command of the LORD they set out. 21 If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or {if it remained} in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out.
22 Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out. 23 At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out; they kept the LORD'S charge, according to the command of the LORD through Moses.
These Scriptures refer to the past. There are also Scriptures about the Shechinah glory in the days of Yeshua (Jesus) and in the future Jerusalem.