7 plagues of Egypt

[SebastianTorres]

Hello all,
How should I interpret the 10 plagues of Egypt in Exodus? These events actually happened or is this an allegory? Is there any archeological possible evidence?
Thank you.

 

[Gorgias]

It would be difficult to interpret them purely as allegory. To do so, you would have to ‘connect the dots’, as it were, and be able to identify where the historical narrative is suspended and where it’s picked up again.

So… is Israelite slavery in Egypt history… or just allegory?

If allegory, then… is Israelite presence in Egypt history… or merely allegory?

If allegory, then… is the famine history… or merely allegory?

If allegory, then… are Jacob’s sons history… or merely allegory?

If allegory, then… is Abraham himself history… or merely allegory?

See the problem? Unless and until you stake a claim of ‘historical narrative’, you’re not going to be able to ground your claim of allegory anywhere – unless, of course, you want to claim that it’s all allegory.

Now… to the ‘archeological evidence’? What kind of evidence of the plagues would we reasonably expect to find, thousands of years later? I would say that it’s fairly naive to suggest that we’d find evidence today of an event in the Nile River, or an infestation by bugs, or the occurrence of disease among a populace… wouldn’t you agree?

 

[goout]

The bible is rooted in human history,
and at the same time,
the bible is not a history textbook. The bible should not be taken as a modern video recording or court transcription is taken.
So there are real historical and literal elements, and from those spring spiritual senses. God communicates inspired Truth for our salvation. It’s near impossible to document the literalist facts, and those are somewhat beside the point for our salvation.

 

[BartholomewB]

The Miracles of Exodus, by Colin Humphreys. I haven’t read it but it seems to be highly regarded. Humphreys is a distinguished physicist who is also an Evangelical Christian. He includes the plagues in this book.You might find it worth checking out.

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-miracles-of-exodus-9781441142191/

 

[Cruciferi]

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[SebastianTorres]

You’re right. But since the egypcians keep written records, would’nt be expectable to find some hieroglyphs about the death of all firstborn in one night, or the drowning of the Pharaoh’s army in the Red See?

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

But since the egypcians keep written records, would’nt be expectable to find some hieroglyphs about the death of all firstborn in one night, or the drowning of the Pharaoh’s army in the Red See?

Not necessarily, because the Egyptian Pharos would discredit their predecessors by ordering the destruction of references to them.
It had to do with their beliefs in death and the afterlife, that destruction of a persons memory would cause them to die “more” or “again” (I apologize this explanation is confusing, I’m not an Egyptologist)

 

[Luke6_37]

Hello all,
How should I interpret the 10 plagues of Egypt in Exodus? These events actually happened or is this an allegory? Is there any archeological possible evidence?
Thank you

You should interpret them for the reason they were recorded - their theological significance. The great miracle of the Bible is the consistent portrayal of God’s saving grace across multiple authors, writing at different times, over the span of thousands of years. The text was never meant to be read as a history in the modern sense.

For example, was the fourth plague biting insects or wild beasts? The Hebrew only says harmful “swarms” were sent against the Egyptians, but does not specify what kind of creature. Adding flies or wild beasts in the translation is just a convention that evolved to avoid dissonance in the reader who might then miss the main point. So you wouldn’t want to write a whole sermon on what the “flies” or “wild beasts” mean, since neither might be correct.

For Christians, the key to interpreting the Old Testament is to understand how a first century Jew would have heard the stories. How did Jesus, Paul and the Evangelists who wrote the Gospels understand their meaning? Start from there and you’ll be on the right path.

 

[goout]

SebastianTorres:

Hello all,
How should I interpret the 10 plagues of Egypt in Exodus? These events actually happened or is this an allegory? Is there any archeological possible evidence?
Thank you

You should interpret them for the reason they were recorded - their theological significance. The great miracle of the Bible is the consistent portrayal of God’s saving grace across multiple authors, writing at different times, over the span of thousands of years. The text was never meant to be read as a history in the modern sense.

For example, was the fourth plague biting insects or wild beasts? The Hebrew only says harmful “swarms” were sent against the Egyptians, but does not specify what kind of creature. Adding flies or wild beasts in the translation is just a convention that evolved to avoid dissonance in the reader who might then miss the main point. So you wouldn’t want to write a whole sermon on what the “flies” or “wild beasts” mean, since neither might be correct.

For Christians, the key to interpreting the Old Testament is to understand how a first century Jew would have heard the stories. How did Jesus, Paul and the Evangelists who wrote the Gospels understand their meaning? Start from there and you’ll be on the right path.

Thank God for clarity and common sense.

 

[FCS]

They did actually happen. However, I was taught that each plague symbolized a different Egyptian god, as a way to show the Israelites who the One True God was.

 

[Gorgias]

I was taught that each plague symbolized a different Egyptian god

‘Symbolized’? No… each one demonstrated mastery over a particular Egyptian god, not symbolically, but in reality.

 

[FCS]

True, that’s what I meant