Antiquities Book 2, Chapter 14
Concerning The Ten Plagues Which Came Upon The Egyptians.
1. But when the king despised the words of Moses, and had no regard at
all to them, grievous plagues seized the Egyptians; every one of which I
will describe, both because no such plagues did ever happen to any other
nation as the Egyptians now felt, and because I would demonstrate that
Moses did not fail in any one thing that he foretold them; and because
it is for the good of mankind, that they may learn this caution—Not to
do anything that may displease God, lest he be provoked to wrath, and
avenge their iniquities upon them. For the Egyptian river ran with
bloody water at the command of God, insomuch that it could not be drunk,
and they had no other spring of water neither; for the water was not
only of the color of blood, but it brought upon those that ventured to
drink of it, great pains and bitter torment. Such was the river to the
Egyptians; but it was sweet and fit for drinking to the Hebrews, and no
way different from what it naturally used to be. As the king therefore
knew not what to do in these surprising circumstances, and was in fear
for the Egyptians, he gave the Hebrews leave to go away; but when the
plague ceased, he changed his mind again, end would not suffer them to
go. 25
2. But when God saw that he was ungrateful, and upon the ceasing of this
calamity would not grow wiser, he sent another plague upon the
Egyptians:—An innumerable multitude of frogs consumed the fruit of the
ground; the river was also full of them, insomuch that those who drew
water had it spoiled by the blood of these animals, as they died in, and
were destroyed by, the water; and the country was full of filthy slime,
as they were born, and as they died: they also spoiled their vessels in
their houses which they used, and were found among what they eat and
what they drank, and came in great numbers upon their beds. There was
also an ungrateful smell, and a stink arose from them, as they were
born, and as they died therein. Now, when the Egyptians were under the
oppression of these miseries, the king ordered Moses to take the Hebrews
with him, and be gone. Upon which the whole multitude of the frogs
vanished away; and both the land and the river returned to their former
natures. But as soon as Pharaoh saw the land freed from this plague, he
forgot the cause of it, and retained the Hebrews; and, as though he had
a mind to try the nature of more such judgments, he would not yet suffer
Moses and his people to depart, having granted that liberty rather out
of fear than out of any good consideration.
3. Accordingly, God punished his falseness with another plague, added to
the former; for there arose out of the bodies of the Egyptians an
innumerable quantity of lice, by which, wicked as they were, they
miserably perished, as not able to destroy this sort of vermin either
with washes or with ointments. At which terrible judgment the king of
Egypt was in disorder, upon the fear into which he reasoned himself,
lest his people should be destroyed, and that the manner of this death
was also reproachful, so that he was forced in part to recover himself
from his wicked temper to a sounder mind, for he gave leave for the
Hebrews themselves to depart. But when the plague thereupon ceased, he
thought it proper to require that they should leave their children and
wives behind them, as pledges of their return; whereby he provoked God
to be more vehemently angry at him, as if he thought to impose on his
providence, and as if it were only Moses, and not God, who punished the
Egyptians for the sake of the Hebrews: for he filled that country full
of various sorts of pestilential creatures, with their various
properties, such indeed as had never come into the sight of men before,
by whose means the men perished themselves, and the land was destitute
of husbandmen for its cultivation; but if any thing escaped destruction
from them, it was killed by a distemper which the men underwent also.
4. But when Pharaoh did not even then yield to the will of God, but,
while he gave leave to the husbands to take their wives with them, yet
insisted that the children should be left behind, God presently resolved
to punish his wickedness with several sorts of calamities, and those
worse than the foregoing, which yet had so generally afflicted them; for
their bodies had terrible boils, breaking forth with blains, while they
were already inwardly consumed; and a great part of the Egyptians
perished in this manner. But when the king was not brought to reason by
this plague, hail was sent down from heaven; and such hail it was, as
the climate of Egypt had never suffered before, nor was it like to that
which falls in other climates in winter time, 26 but was larger than
that which falls in the middle of spring to those that dwell in the
northern and north-western regions. This hail broke down their boughs
laden with fruit. After this a tribe of locusts consumed the seed which
was not hurt by the hail; so that to the Egyptians all hopes of the
future fruits of the ground were entirely lost.
5. One would think the forementioned calamities might have been
sufficient for one that was only foolish, without wickedness, to make
him wise, and to make him Sensible what was for his advantage. But
Pharaoh, led not so much by his folly as by his wickedness, even when he
saw the cause of his miseries, he still contested with God, and
willfully deserted the cause of virtue; so he bid Moses take the Hebrews
away, with their wives and children, to leave their cattle behind, since
their own cattle were destroyed. But when Moses said that what he
desired was unjust, since they were obliged to offer sacrifices to God
of those cattle, and the time being prolonged on this account, a thick
darkness, without the least light, spread itself over the Egyptians,
whereby their sight being obstructed, and their breathing hindered by
the thickness of the air, they died miserably, and under a terror lest
they should be swallowed up by the dark cloud. Besides this, when the
darkness, after three days and as many nights, was dissipated, and when
Pharaoh did not still repent and let the Hebrews go, Moses came to him
and said, "How long wilt thou be disobedient to the command of God? for
he enjoins thee to let the Hebrews go; nor is there any other way of
being freed from the calamities you are under, unless you do so." But
the king angry at what he said, and threatened to cut off his head if he
came any more to trouble him these matters. Hereupon Moses said he not
speak to him any more about them, for he himself, together with the
principal men among the Egyptians, should desire the Hebrews away. So
when Moses had said this, he his way.
6. But when God had signified, that with one plague he would compel the
Egyptians to let Hebrews go, he commanded Moses to tell the people that
they should have a sacrifice ready, and they should prepare themselves
on the tenth day of the month Xanthicus, against the fourteenth, [which
month is called by the Egyptians Pharmuth, Nisan by the Hebrews; but the
Macedonians call it Xanthicus,] and that he should carry the Hebrews
with all they had. Accordingly, he having got the Hebrews ready for
their departure, and having sorted the people into tribes, he kept them
together in one place: but when the fourteenth day was come, and all
were ready to depart they offered the sacrifice, and purified their
houses with the blood, using bunches of hyssop for that purpose; and
when they had supped, they burnt the remainder of the flesh, as just
ready to depart. Whence it is that we do still offer this sacrifice in
like manner to this day, and call this festival Pascha which signifies
the feast of the passover; because on that day God passed us over, and
sent the plague upon the Egyptians; for the destruction of the first-
born came upon the Egyptians that night, so that many of the Egyptians
who lived near the king's palace, persuaded Pharaoh to let the Hebrews
go. Accordingly he called for Moses, and bid them be gone; as supposing,
that if once the Hebrews were gone out of the country, Egypt should be
freed from its miseries. They also honored the Hebrews with gifts; 27
some, in order to get them to depart quickly, and others on account of
their neighborhood, and the friendship they had with them.
all to them, grievous plagues seized the Egyptians; every one of which I
will describe, both because no such plagues did ever happen to any other
nation as the Egyptians now felt, and because I would demonstrate that
Moses did not fail in any one thing that he foretold them; and because
it is for the good of mankind, that they may learn this caution—Not to
do anything that may displease God, lest he be provoked to wrath, and
avenge their iniquities upon them. For the Egyptian river ran with
bloody water at the command of God, insomuch that it could not be drunk,
and they had no other spring of water neither; for the water was not
only of the color of blood, but it brought upon those that ventured to
drink of it, great pains and bitter torment. Such was the river to the
Egyptians; but it was sweet and fit for drinking to the Hebrews, and no
way different from what it naturally used to be. As the king therefore
knew not what to do in these surprising circumstances, and was in fear
for the Egyptians, he gave the Hebrews leave to go away; but when the
plague ceased, he changed his mind again, end would not suffer them to
go. 25
2. But when God saw that he was ungrateful, and upon the ceasing of this
calamity would not grow wiser, he sent another plague upon the
Egyptians:—An innumerable multitude of frogs consumed the fruit of the
ground; the river was also full of them, insomuch that those who drew
water had it spoiled by the blood of these animals, as they died in, and
were destroyed by, the water; and the country was full of filthy slime,
as they were born, and as they died: they also spoiled their vessels in
their houses which they used, and were found among what they eat and
what they drank, and came in great numbers upon their beds. There was
also an ungrateful smell, and a stink arose from them, as they were
born, and as they died therein. Now, when the Egyptians were under the
oppression of these miseries, the king ordered Moses to take the Hebrews
with him, and be gone. Upon which the whole multitude of the frogs
vanished away; and both the land and the river returned to their former
natures. But as soon as Pharaoh saw the land freed from this plague, he
forgot the cause of it, and retained the Hebrews; and, as though he had
a mind to try the nature of more such judgments, he would not yet suffer
Moses and his people to depart, having granted that liberty rather out
of fear than out of any good consideration.
3. Accordingly, God punished his falseness with another plague, added to
the former; for there arose out of the bodies of the Egyptians an
innumerable quantity of lice, by which, wicked as they were, they
miserably perished, as not able to destroy this sort of vermin either
with washes or with ointments. At which terrible judgment the king of
Egypt was in disorder, upon the fear into which he reasoned himself,
lest his people should be destroyed, and that the manner of this death
was also reproachful, so that he was forced in part to recover himself
from his wicked temper to a sounder mind, for he gave leave for the
Hebrews themselves to depart. But when the plague thereupon ceased, he
thought it proper to require that they should leave their children and
wives behind them, as pledges of their return; whereby he provoked God
to be more vehemently angry at him, as if he thought to impose on his
providence, and as if it were only Moses, and not God, who punished the
Egyptians for the sake of the Hebrews: for he filled that country full
of various sorts of pestilential creatures, with their various
properties, such indeed as had never come into the sight of men before,
by whose means the men perished themselves, and the land was destitute
of husbandmen for its cultivation; but if any thing escaped destruction
from them, it was killed by a distemper which the men underwent also.
4. But when Pharaoh did not even then yield to the will of God, but,
while he gave leave to the husbands to take their wives with them, yet
insisted that the children should be left behind, God presently resolved
to punish his wickedness with several sorts of calamities, and those
worse than the foregoing, which yet had so generally afflicted them; for
their bodies had terrible boils, breaking forth with blains, while they
were already inwardly consumed; and a great part of the Egyptians
perished in this manner. But when the king was not brought to reason by
this plague, hail was sent down from heaven; and such hail it was, as
the climate of Egypt had never suffered before, nor was it like to that
which falls in other climates in winter time, 26 but was larger than
that which falls in the middle of spring to those that dwell in the
northern and north-western regions. This hail broke down their boughs
laden with fruit. After this a tribe of locusts consumed the seed which
was not hurt by the hail; so that to the Egyptians all hopes of the
future fruits of the ground were entirely lost.
5. One would think the forementioned calamities might have been
sufficient for one that was only foolish, without wickedness, to make
him wise, and to make him Sensible what was for his advantage. But
Pharaoh, led not so much by his folly as by his wickedness, even when he
saw the cause of his miseries, he still contested with God, and
willfully deserted the cause of virtue; so he bid Moses take the Hebrews
away, with their wives and children, to leave their cattle behind, since
their own cattle were destroyed. But when Moses said that what he
desired was unjust, since they were obliged to offer sacrifices to God
of those cattle, and the time being prolonged on this account, a thick
darkness, without the least light, spread itself over the Egyptians,
whereby their sight being obstructed, and their breathing hindered by
the thickness of the air, they died miserably, and under a terror lest
they should be swallowed up by the dark cloud. Besides this, when the
darkness, after three days and as many nights, was dissipated, and when
Pharaoh did not still repent and let the Hebrews go, Moses came to him
and said, "How long wilt thou be disobedient to the command of God? for
he enjoins thee to let the Hebrews go; nor is there any other way of
being freed from the calamities you are under, unless you do so." But
the king angry at what he said, and threatened to cut off his head if he
came any more to trouble him these matters. Hereupon Moses said he not
speak to him any more about them, for he himself, together with the
principal men among the Egyptians, should desire the Hebrews away. So
when Moses had said this, he his way.
6. But when God had signified, that with one plague he would compel the
Egyptians to let Hebrews go, he commanded Moses to tell the people that
they should have a sacrifice ready, and they should prepare themselves
on the tenth day of the month Xanthicus, against the fourteenth, [which
month is called by the Egyptians Pharmuth, Nisan by the Hebrews; but the
Macedonians call it Xanthicus,] and that he should carry the Hebrews
with all they had. Accordingly, he having got the Hebrews ready for
their departure, and having sorted the people into tribes, he kept them
together in one place: but when the fourteenth day was come, and all
were ready to depart they offered the sacrifice, and purified their
houses with the blood, using bunches of hyssop for that purpose; and
when they had supped, they burnt the remainder of the flesh, as just
ready to depart. Whence it is that we do still offer this sacrifice in
like manner to this day, and call this festival Pascha which signifies
the feast of the passover; because on that day God passed us over, and
sent the plague upon the Egyptians; for the destruction of the first-
born came upon the Egyptians that night, so that many of the Egyptians
who lived near the king's palace, persuaded Pharaoh to let the Hebrews
go. Accordingly he called for Moses, and bid them be gone; as supposing,
that if once the Hebrews were gone out of the country, Egypt should be
freed from its miseries. They also honored the Hebrews with gifts; 27
some, in order to get them to depart quickly, and others on account of
their neighborhood, and the friendship they had with them.