1 / 12

Plagues--Natural Explanations?

Plagues--Natural Explanations?. Excessive flooding; mountain algae (water becomes blood) Anthrax bacillus in frogs; they were forced from water Mosquitoes multiplied since there were breeding pools all over the land Flies in decaying vegetation Anthrax spores from frogs kill livestock

nessa
Télécharger la présentation

Plagues--Natural Explanations?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Plagues--Natural Explanations? • Excessive flooding; mountain algae (water becomes blood) • Anthrax bacillus in frogs; they were forced from water • Mosquitoes multiplied since there were breeding pools all over the land • Flies in decaying vegetation • Anthrax spores from frogs kill livestock • Flies carried anthrax into stalls as boils

  2. Plagues according to the Pentateuchal Sources • J Moses main actor; Aaron silent. Let my people go! People living apart from Egyptians, in Goshen. Negotiations. Goal--that Pharaoh may know me. 7 in number (cf. Psalm 78). 8:20-32 • P Aaron chief actor; magicians; signs and wonders validate Moses and Aaron and glorify Yahweh. No “Let my people go.” 8:16-19; 9:8-12

  3. Israel Exempt • flies (4)--land of Goshen set apart (8:22) • cattle (5)--no cattle of Israel died (9:4-6) • No hail (7) in Goshen (9:26) • Israel exempt from darkness even though they did not live separately from Egyptians (10:23) • Death of firstborn (11:7)

  4. Pharaoh: Pray for me! • Pray to take away frogs (8:8-9) • Don’t go far; pray for me (after flies) (8:28) • I have sinned (9:27) (after hail) • I have sinned against Yahweh and against you (10:16-17) (after locusts) • Get a blessing for me (12:31-32)

  5. Concessions by Pharaoh • I will let people go to sacrifice (8:8 frogs) • Sacrifice to your God within the land (8:25 flies) • Don’t go very far (8:28 flies) • Only men may go (10:11 locusts) • Little ones may go, not animals (10:24 darkness) • Go, also flocks and herds; bless me also (12:31-32 firstborn)

  6. Magnification of Miracles in P • Aaron’s Rod becomes a dragon • Blood in trees (sap) and stones (springs) 7:19 • Crossing of Red Sea (contrast J) • I will get glory over Pharaoh (14:4, 17) • Glory in tabernacle (40:1) • 16:10 (quails); Num 14:10 (spies); 16:42 (murmuring); 20:6 (water)

  7. Magicians: Who Gets Glory? • Change rods into dragons by secret arts (7:12) • Change water into blood; phenomenon already nation-wide (7:22 bring up frogs; already nation-wide) 8:7 • no gnats; this is God’s finger (8:19) • boils on magicians (9:11; acne kids!)

  8. Passover and Unleavened Bread • Unleavened bread was originally a harvest festival; presupposes life in the land • Passover originally was a festival when herds changed location in spring. • First of months; at home; eat in haste • Slave or stranger may participate if he is circumcised (12:44, 48)

  9. Passover (continued) • Writer uses occasion to lay down legislation • Passover 1-14; Unleavened Bread 1-15--1-21 • Significance of blood on the doorposts • In Egypt for 430 years • Significance of redemption of firstborn humans and animals

  10. Despoiling of EgyptiansExod 11:2; 12:35-36 • Wages for their slavery? (Jubilees 48:18 in return for the bondage in which they had forced them to serve) • Put to better use with Israel? (Augustine) • Materials for tabernacle? • Israel leaves Egypt as victors in a battle (spoils of war)

  11. Despoiling of Egyptians • Psalm 105:37-38 Yahweh brought Israel out with silver and gold--Egypt was glad when they departed. • They honored the Hebrews with gifts so that they might depart more quickly, others because of the neighborly relations they had with them. Josephus

  12. Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart • J: Pharaoh does hardening himself and is negative reaction to the signs of Yahweh; Hardening keeps Egyptians from knowing Yahweh • P: Yahweh hardens Pharaoh’s heart in order to magnify miraculous; Plagues don’t reveal Yahweh--crossing of Reed Sea does (14:4). Hardening motif connects plagues to crossing motif.

More Related