Plagues of Egypt

Scenes from the Book of Exodus: The death of the firstborns (including the Pharaoh's son), and the Israelites leaving Egypt (Haggadah shel Pesaḥ, 1325–1374 CE, Barcelona via British Library)

In the Book of Exodus, the Plagues of Egypt (Hebrew: מכות מצרים) are ten disasters that the Hebrew God inflicts on the Egyptians to convince the Pharaoh to emancipate the enslaved Israelites, each of them confronting the Pharaoh and one of his Egyptian gods;[1] they serve as "signs and marvels" given by Yahweh in response to the Pharaoh's taunt that he does not know Yahweh: "The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD".[2]: 117  These Plagues are recited by Jews during the Passover Seder.[3]

The consensus of modern scholars is that the Pentateuch does not give an accurate account of the origins of the Israelites.[4][5]: 81 [6]: 6–7  Similarly, attempts to find natural explanations for the plagues (e.g., a volcanic eruption to explain the "darkness" plague) have been dismissed by biblical scholars on the grounds that their pattern, timing, rapid succession, and above all, control by Moses mark them as supernatural.[5]: 90 [2]: 117–118 

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Greifenhagen was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Tigay, Jeffrey H. (2004). "Exodus". In Berlin, Adele; Brettler, Marc Zvi (eds.). The Jewish Study Bible. Oxford University Press.
  3. ^ "08. The Meaning of the Ten Plagues – Peninei Halakha". Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  4. ^ Faust 2015, p. 476.
  5. ^ a b Moore, Megan Bishop; Kelle, Brad E. (2011). Biblical History and Israel's Past. ISBN 9780802862600. {{cite book}}: Text "publisher Eerdmans" ignored (help)
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Meyers was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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