The 10 Plagues - Moses and the Egyptian gods

Review of the 10 plagues of Egypt and how they relate to their paganism

1. The 10 Plagues Exodus 7-12

2. Water into blood Part 1

3. Egypt in the time of the exodus 1Ki 6:1  Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

4. Joseph 1909 - 1876 Exodus 1479 - 1446 Amenemhat II, Senusret II & III Thutmose II, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III

5. 400 years of growth – Gen 47:13-21 12 th Dynasty (1900-1800 BC) shows a massive infrastructure growth Canals, water storage, and agricultural fields expansion Consolidation of power from nomarchs (regional rulers) to Pharaoh Expansion of borders to Nubia, Levant, and other surrounding countries Nation capital was Itjtawy (somewhere between Cairo and Luxor today)

6. Egypt in the time of the exodus Dated to the 18 th Dynasty (1479 – 1446 BC) Egypt was lusher (African Humid Period) Capital city of Thebes (modern-day Luxor) City population of 75,000 (largest in the world) Temple of Amun in Karnak

7. Temple of Karnak - Only surviving structure from that time period

8. Heka God of magic Considered a divine force used by gods and humans to influence the world, maintain order ( ma’at ), and protect against chaos Heka was one of the oldest and most important gods Ordinary Egyptians used amulets, household altars, and simple spells. Frog amulets (linked to Heqet ) and wedjat (Eye of Horus) amulets were common for protection and fertility.

9. Ebers Papyrus (1550 BC)

10. Edwin Smith Papyrus (1600 BC)

11. Book of the Dead (1550 BC)

12. Exo 7:2-4  "You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great judgments.

13. Gen 37:19-20  They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer!  Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, 'A wild beast devoured him.' Then let us see what will become of his dreams!"

14. Gen 50:19-21  But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

15. Hapi – god of the Nile

16. frogs Part 2

17. Thutmose II (1493-1479) Little information is known of him, possibly reigned 3 to 13 years Married his half-sister, Hatshepsut Had 2 children: Neferure and Thutmose III Mummy found signs of an unknown skin disease

18. Hatshepsut (1479 – 1458) Not the Pharaoh of the Exodus since the masculine term is used Commissioned hundreds of building projects throughout Egypt Mother of Neferure All images and records of her were intentionally destroyed or damaged towards the end of Thutmose III’s reign

19. Thutmose III (1458 or 1479 – 1425) Led at least 16 campaigns 50 building projects in Egypt First born son, Amenemhat, and his mother died young Military campaigning ceased decades before his death

20. Senenmut Of a lowly birth Means “brother of mother” Received the titles “Steward of the God’s Wife” and “Steward of the King’s Daughter” upon Hatshepsut’s reign Tomb found empty and body never found

21. Dating the exodus Earlier Date 1479 Later Date 1446 Ex 1:16 Ordered Death of Hebrew Sons 1559 BC: Seqenenre Tao - Killed by Hyksos 1526 BC: Thutmose I - Military commander turned Pharaoh Ex 2:5 Moses found by Pharaoh’s Daughter 1 of 6 known daughters of Seqenenre Hatshepsut Pharaoh when Moses flees at 40 yrs old 1519 BC: Ahmose I or Amenhotep I 1486 BC: Thutmose II Pharaoh of the Exodus, Moses 80 yrs old 1479 BC: Thutmose II 1446 BC: Thutmose III

22. Heqet

23. Frog Amulet

24. El- Qurn

25. Gnats & Flies Parts 3 & 4

26. Reneging vows Deu 23:21-23  "When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. "However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. "You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised.

27. Num 1:45-46  So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers' households, from twenty years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel, even all the numbered men were 603,550. Exo 12:37  Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. Now the sons of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. 

28. 603,550 x 3.5 (average for women and children) people per family is 2.1 million people. 70 people entered Egypt and 2.1 million left after 430 years. Assuming an average lifespan of 100 years with a 10% child mortality rate, a family would average 5 children per couple. Do you still see animosity towards foreigners who have large families?

29. Noah Ham Shem Japheth Gomer Madai Magog Javan French, Irish, German Russian, Ukrainian (Possibly Chinese) Medes (Merged with Persia) Greeks Tarshish Kittim Italians Spaniards Cush Mizraim Put Canaan Nimrod (Black) Sudan, Ethiopia Babel, Nineveh Egypt Libya, Somalia Elam Asshur Arpachshad Lud Aram Iran Assyria Iraq, Arab Turkey Syria, Lebanon Abraham Ishmael Israelites Muslims

30. Isa 66:18-19  "For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory. "I will set a sign among them and will send survivors from them to the nations: Tarshish, Put, Lud, Meshech, Tubal and Javan, to the distant coastlands that have neither heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they will declare My glory among the nations.

31. כִּנִּם - kinnim Used in the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, and translated as sknīphes in the LXX Gnat Lice Mosquito Midge (No-See-Ums)

32. GEB – GOD OF THE EARTH Often represented with a goose on his head or a snake as seen in the Egyptian Book of the Dead

33. KHEPRI – GOD OF THE MORNING SUN AND SCARABS The god was connected to and often depicted as a scarab beetle. Scarab beetles lay their eggs within dung balls, and as a result, young beetles emerge from the balls fully formed, having eaten their way out of the mounds. This caused ancient Egyptians to believe that these insects were created from nothingness. They also believed that each day the sun was reborn or created from nothing, thus explaining the connection made between the Sun and the scarab.

34. Death of livestock Part 5

35. Amarna Letters 14 th Century BC

36. HATHOR – MISTRESS OF LIFE Provided food for the dead and transitioned souls from the living to the underworld Cows were sacred, a symbol of motherhood and nourishment Connected to foreign lands, such as Canaan and Nubia, for their goods B eneficent side represented music, dance, joy, love, sexuality, and maternal care

37. Exodus 32: the molten calf Cattle are still held sacred in modern pagan religions: Hinduism: cows are revered as sacred animals, symbolizing wealth, strength, abundance, and motherly love. They are not considered gods but are venerated as embodiments of divine and natural beneficence. The cow is often associated with the Mother Goddess, referred to as Gau Mata (Cow Mother), and is seen as a source of life-sustaining resources Jainism: an Indian religion emphasizing extreme non-violence (ahimsa), does not explicitly worship cows but extends reverence to all living beings, including cattle. The principle of ahimsa discourages harming or killing cows Buddhism: certain Mahayana Buddhist traditions in China and India show reverence for cows due to cultural overlap with Hinduism Zoroastrianism: while not actively venerating cows today, historically placed importance on cattle, as seen in ancient texts like the Avesta. The term geush urva ("spirit of the cow") symbolizes the soul of the earth, and Zoroaster was instructed by Ahura Mazda to protect cows

38. Boils and hail Parts 6 & 7

39. שְׁחִין - shekh-een ' A boil, also known as a furuncle, is a painful, pus-filled bump under the skin caused by a bacterial infection in a hair follicle The Hebrew word שְׁחִין translates to "boil," "ulcer," or "sore" in English The term is derived from a root meaning "to be inflamed" or "to burn," suggesting painful, inflamed skin lesions.

40. Exo 15:26  saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

41. Lev 13:18-20  "When the body has a boil on its skin and it is healed, and in the place of the boil there is a white swelling or a reddish-white, bright spot, then it shall be shown to the priest; and the priest shall look, and behold, if it appears to be lower than the skin, and the hair on it has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the infection of leprosy, it has broken out in the boil.

42. צ ָרַעַת tsâra‛ath Λέπρα lepra Leprosy is Hansen’s Disease

43. BACTERIAL AND FUNGAL INFECTIONS Psoriasis Dermatitis Ringworm* dermatophyte infections (athlete’s foot or jock itch) Eczema Yeast (fungal) infections* Erysipelas* Syphilis* I mpetigo* Cellulitis* Gangrene Tinea Versicolor Scabies* Scarlet Fever* Morphea Hansen’s disease* Blastomycosis Chromoblastomycosis * Contagious

44. SEKHMET – GODDESS OF PESTILENCE AND HEALING Said to breathe fire and the hot winds of the desert Destroyed humanity for their disobedie nce or healed friends Patron of physicians and healers Common act of whispering prayers into the ears of cat mummies to speak to her

45. NUT – GODDESS OF THE SKY Often depicted as a woman covered with stars Believed to have swallowed the sun each night and rebirthed it each morning

46. Locust & darkness Parts 8 & 9

47. Desert LOCUST

48. 2007 Map of the Red Sea - Dark green is heavy fauna growth

49. NEPER – GOD OF GRAIN Set the ancient Egyptian god of chaos, storms, and war, was often depicted as a disruptive force associated with the desert and foreign lands. SET – GOD OF CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION Neper was the ancient Egyptian god of grain and agriculture, associated with the fertility of crops and the life-giving sustenance of harvests

50. Gen 1:3-5  Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

51. RA- GOD OF THE SUN One of the most important pagan gods The sun is the giver of life, controls ripening of crops Considered the father of many other gods

52. God’s demonstration of his control I. Water into Blood – The essence of life II. Frogs – Creatures of the water III. Gnats – The tiniest living things IV. Swarms - Insects V. Death of Livestock - Beasts VI. Boils – Bacteria and Disease VII. Hail - Weather VIII. Locust - Crops IX. Darkness – The laws of physics X. Death of Firstborn – Our very lives and souls

53. Death of the firstborn Part 10

54. Why these plagues? Exo 12:12  'For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the LORD.

55. Joseph 1909 - 1876 Exodus 1479 - 1446 Amenemhat II, Senusret II & III Thutmose II, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III

56. Dating the exodus Earlier Date 1479 Later Date 1446 Ex 1:16 Ordered Death of Hebrew Sons 1559 BC: Seqenenre Tao - Killed by Hyksos 1526 BC: Thutmose I - Military commander turned Pharaoh Ex 2:5 Moses found by Pharaoh’s Daughter 1 of 6 known daughters of Seqenenre Hatshepsut Pharaoh when Moses flees at 40 yrs old 1519 BC: Ahmose I or Amenhotep I 1486 BC: Thutmose II Pharaoh of the Exodus, Moses 80 yrs old 1479 BC: Thutmose II 1446 BC: Thutmose III

57. Hapi – god of the Nile

58. HEQET – GOD OF FERTILITY Annual flooding of the Nile (Aug-Sept) watered fields and brought rich silt into the soil. The flooding was ideal for tadpole birthing. After flooding receded, the land was filled with frogs.

59. כִּנִּם - kinnim Used in the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, and translated as sknīphes in the LXX Gnat Lice Mosquito Midge (No-See-Ums)

60. GEB – GOD OF THE EARTH Often represented with a goose on his head or a snake as seen in the Egyptian Book of the Dead

61. עָרֹב – Swarm of Swarms Stable Fly House Fly Egyptian Sand Roach Scarab

62. KHEPRI – GOD OF THE MORNING SUN AND SCARABS The god was connected to and often depicted as a scarab beetle. Scarab beetles lay their eggs within dung balls, and as a result, young beetles emerge from the balls fully formed, having eaten their way out of the mounds. This caused ancient Egyptians to believe that these insects were created from nothingness. They also believed that each day the sun was reborn or created from nothing, thus explaining the connection made between the Sun and the scarab.

63. HATHOR – MISTRESS OF LIFE Provided food for the dead and transitioned souls from the living to the underworld Cows were sacred, a symbol of motherhood and nourishment Connected to foreign lands, such as Canaan and Nubia, for their goods B eneficent side represented music, dance, joy, love, sexuality, and maternal care

64. שְׁחִין - shekh-een ' A boil, also known as a furuncle, is a painful, pus-filled bump under the skin caused by a bacterial infection in a hair follicle The Hebrew word שְׁחִין translates to "boil," "ulcer," or "sore" in English The term is derived from a root meaning "to be inflamed" or "to burn," suggesting painful, inflamed skin lesions.

65. SEKHMET – GODDESS OF PESTILENCE AND HEALING Said to breathe fire and the hot winds of the desert Destroyed humanity for their disobedie nce or healed friends Patron of physicians and healers Common act of whispering prayers into the ears of cat mummies to speak to her

66. NUT – GODDESS OF THE SKY Often depicted as a woman covered with stars Believed to have swallowed the sun each night and rebirthed it each morning

67. 2007 Map of the Red Sea - Dark green is heavy fauna growth

68. NEPER – GOD OF GRAIN Set the ancient Egyptian god of chaos, storms, and war, was often depicted as a disruptive force associated with the desert and foreign lands. SET – GOD OF CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION Neper was the ancient Egyptian god of grain and agriculture, associated with the fertility of crops and the life-giving sustenance of harvests

69. RA- GOD OF THE SUN One of the most important pagan gods The sun is the giver of life, controls ripening of crops Considered the father of many other gods

70. Archeological research estimates the population of Egypt to be 2-3 million Research estimates the average family size was 5-7 people 2.5 million people / 6 = 416,667 households Total number of firstborn children would be 250,000 – 375,000 If the term בְּכוֹר is referring to all people including adults and children, then the total is closer to 600,000 Assume today’s rates of 80% of households have children

71. 10 th Plague Egypt 1450’s BC 400K – 600K 16 – 24% Holodomor Ukr . Soviet Union 1932-1933 3-5 million 13% Cambodia Gen. Pol Pot 1975-1979 1.7-2 million 21-25% Rwanda Gen. Hutu 1994 800K – 1 million 10-20% Serbia WWI 1914-1918 1.2 million 25% Poland WWII 1939-1945 6 million 17% Black Death England 1348-1350 ̴ 2 million 30-40% Jewish Hol. Nazi Germany 1941-1945 6 million 60% Armenia Gen. Ottoman Empire 1915-1917 1.2-1.5 million 50-75% Black Death Italy 1348-1350 4-7.2 million 36-66% Great Leap Forward Famine China 1959-1961 30 million 5%