The 10 Plagues of Egypt are described in the Book of Exodus. Every year Jewish people around the world celebrate Passover — a holiday that marks the Exodus, when the Jews escaped slavery in Egypt and moved to Canaan, as recounted in the Torah (the Pentateuch, comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.): Genesis,Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
The consensus of modern scholars is that the Pentateuch does not give an accurate account of the origins of the Israelites. 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. But the controversy remains like a recurring decimal point.
In the Book of Exodus, the Plagues of Egypt are ten disasters that the Hebrew God inflicts on the Egyptians to convince the Pharaoh to emancipate the enslaved Hebrews: These Plagues are recited by Jews during the Passover Seder.
Before going further, let it be established from the onset that the story of Moses raises many historical controversies, ranging from the dating of his birth and events in Egypt to the greatest monumental event, the Exodus. The interrogation of which would open a floodgate of incredulity leading to tests of faith especially as the belief in the religious historicity of Moses and the events have become accepted folklores in the Abrahamic religions. Particularly in Islam where Musa is a most revered prophet.
Mūsā ibn ʿImrām, (lit. ’Moses, son of Amram’) is a prominent prophet and messenger of God and is the most frequently mentioned individual in the Quran, with his name being mentioned 136 times and his life being narrated and recounted more than that of any other prophet. Apart from the Quran, Moses is also described and praised in the Hadith literature as well. He is one of the most important prophets and messengers within Islam.
Perhaps the greatest reference to Musa in Islam is his role in helping to secure the five daily prayers for Prophet Muhammad during his celebrated night journey to Heaven. Miraj is one of the most talked-about events in Islam. Isra and Miraj are the two parts of the night Journey, which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) took on 27th day of Rajab shortly before the Hejira.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was transported from the Sacred Mosque in Mecca to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem Miraj: He then ascended through the seven heavens, meeting with other prophets and ultimately reaching the presence of Allah (God).
During this journey, the five daily prayers were prescribed to the Muslim community. Initially 50 daily prayers were prescribed. It was Moses who asked the Prophet to go back and ask for its reduction, which he did several times till it was pegged at five. Hence, the significance of Moses.
The story of Moses and the Exodus has been critiqued from various angles, reflecting the diverse interpretations and scholarly debates surrounding this foundational biblical narrative:
Historical Skepticism: Some scholars, like Martin Noth and John Van Seters, argue that the historical Moses is a legendary figure, with the only historical tradition being the death and burial of Moses in Deuteronomy. This perspective suggests that the Exodus narratives are more akin to folktales than historical accounts.
From a Liberation Theology perspective, the Exodus story is seen as a liberation narrative that emphasizes the fight against oppression and the pursuit of social justice. This interpretation challenges the traditional view of Moses as a mere leader and highlights his role as a social liberator.
The debate over the historicity of Moses and the Exodus continues, with some scholars suggesting that the narratives are not historically reliable due to a lack of independent data and a misunderstanding of archaeological evidence. Others argue that Moses was a typical ancient leader with extraordinary abilities, paralleling other ancient leaders in the Near East.
The Gradual Emergence Theory, for example, posits that the Israelites emerged gradually from within the indigenous Canaanite population rather than through a sudden mass exodus from Egypt. This theory is grounded in archaeological evidence and sociocultural analysis, suggesting a more evolutionary development of Israelite identity.
These critiques highlight the complexity and subjectivity of the story of Moses and the Exodus, inviting readers to consider the various interpretations and their implications for understanding the narrative’s significance.
Because of their penchant for identifying sources behind the final form of the narrative, biblical scholars have failed to consider the nature of the sequence of the plagues. Nearly ninety years ago Flinders Petrie, Egyptologist, observed, “The order of the plagues was the natural order of such troubles on a lesser scale in the Egyptian season, as was pointed out long ago.” Petrie thought that the blood-like waters of the Nile were the result of stagnating conditions that occurred just prior to the beginning of the inundation, when water levels were at their lowest.
Greta Hort (Danish-born professor of Danish and English literature) took the opposite tack. She hypothesized the “plague” resulted from a high Nile because the four conditions describing the water in Exodus 7:20 to 24 could only be met during the inundation. The Nile rises in July and August, crests in September, and usually is reddish in appearance owing to the presence of Roterde, particles of soil, suspended in the water.
In Exodus, the Nile is described by the blood-red color (7:20); the death of its fish (7:21a); its foul smell; and its undrinkable state (7:21c). Hort maintains that only one scenario could result in these four conditions: the presence of millions of flagellates (Euglena sanguinea and Haematoccus pluvialis) in the floodwaters. Probably originating in Lake Tana, Ethiopia, the flagellates flowed to Egypt via the Blue Nile and would account for the reddish color and the putrid smell. During the darkness of night, flagellates require higher amounts of oxygen, whereas during the day they give off an abundance of oxygen. This fluctuation, Hort explains, would cause the death of fish, which need constant amounts of oxygen.
She further argues that the following five plagues came as a consequence of the first. Frogs, the second plague, are known to invade the land toward the end of the Nile’s inundation in September and October. It is reported in this case (Exod.7:25) that a week separated the first and second plague, suggesting a connection between the two, Hort avers. The sudden death of the frogs (Exod. 8:13), she believes, was because of contamination caused by bacillus anthracis from the decomposing fish.
The flood season in Egypt always brought with it mosquitoes that could quickly reproduce in the pools and puddles left by the retreating Nile. The “flies” (cārōb) of the fourth plague may have been dog flies, known for their vicious biting. Hort considers the quick outbreak of this plague to be consistent with this type of mosquito and believes it was the cause of the sixth plague.
The fifth plague (deber) affected field animals (Exod. 9:3) and Hort maintained that this plague resulted from anthrax spread inland by the frogs associated with the second plague. “Boils” is a common understanding of šehîn, which makes sense in the light of the meanings which would be consistent with an infection. This plague specifically hit animals and humans alike (Exod. 9:9), and, based on a statement in Deuteronomy 28:35, it appears that this plague primarily affected the lower extremities of people.
Moreover, she contends that the flies that were the pest of the fourth plague were responsible for the boils of the sixth plague. The infection would have been passed on by the flies biting humans and other animals after coming in contact with rotting, dead animals (the result of the fifth plague).
Despite all the above attempts at ex-religious explanations for the 10 Plagues, they are still believed like gospel truths. This is the reality of religious beliefs and unshakable faith. It is therefore in the same vein that Muslims believe in the Accession of the Holy Prophet (SAW) in the Isra Miraj.
There are different accounts of what occurred during the Miʿraj. Al-Tabari’s description can be summarized as; Muhammad ascends into heaven with Gabriel and meets a different prophet at each of the seven levels of heaven; first Adam, then John the Baptist and Jesus, then Joseph, then Idris, then Aaron, then Moses, and lastly Abraham.
Then, continues to meet God without Gabriel. God tells Muhammad that his people must pray 50 times a day, but on return, he meets Moses, who tells him persistently, “Return to God and ask for fewer prayers because fifty is too many”. Muhammad goes between Moses and God nine times, until the prayers are reduced to the five daily prayers.
It therefore follows that belief in the 10 plagues cannot be obliterated by any archaeological or scientific exposition.
However, to the people of Gaza, the unintended consequence Moses’ deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt is being felt today in the genocide they are experiencing in the hands of Bani Israel.
Dr. Rasha Khatib, Martin McKee, and Salim Yusuf’s instructive article, “Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential” (https://www.thelancet.com › journals › lancet › article), published in the Lancet, gives a framework for understanding the limited ability to count the dead when those carrying out data collection are also being targeted and murdered during a genocide.
As of today, the death toll in Gaza is reported to be at least 58,026. This figure includes many civilians, with women and children making up more than half of the casualties. Apart from the observable fact that 80% of Gaza has been razed to the ground level and turned to rubbles. If Moses had not let his ‘people go’.
Moses’ people are still gallivant all over the Middle East causing havoc and death. In Lebanon, lives are not safe from Israeli bombs; Syria too suffers the same fate. Israel recently bombed the Syrian military headquarters and the Presidential palace. Even, the West Bank is not safe anymore for Palestinians.
It is all a re enactment of the directive of the God of Israel in Joshua 6:17 (ESV) “And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction.”
But in fairness to Moses, he was not part of this wanton destruction of Canaan as he did not reach the Promised Land. Moses died in Moab, having viewed the Promised Land which he would not enter. The Bible states that God Himself buried Moses in a valley in Moab, near Beth-poer. His grave remains unknown to this day. Deuteronomy 34:6.
All these because Moses led Bani Israel on their 40-year journey out of Egypt.
May Allah save us from the hands of Bani Israel and its backers.
Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend
