18. Although not confirming the Plagues of Egypt as an act of divine retribution, archaeological evidence and natural science have provided evidence that these events likely did occur
As claimed in the Book of Exodus, the Plagues of Egypt comprised ten calamities inflicted upon the Egyptians by God to compel the Pharaoh to allow the enslaved Israelites to depart. Although some historians continue to argue these events merely serve as an allegorical exaggeration, strong evidence suggests these so-called “plagues” likely did happen in one form or another. Believed to have affected the ancient city of Pi-Rameses, situated in the Nile Delta and which served as the capital of Egypt during the reign of Ramesses II, archaeological evidence helps corroborate natural explanations for the disasters.
Rising temperatures or a drought naturally change the color of the Nile, affecting the spread of bacteria and algae. This environmental change triggered a blight, forcing frog populations to abandon the river before dying. The absence of frogs led to a dramatic increase in insects. These insects brought disease, infecting livestock. Most prominently, the thunderstorm of fire, unrelated to the symbiotic inter-connectivity of the first six plagues, is widely believed to refer to the eruption of Thera in 1628 BCE. Estimated to have been one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history, ash deposits dating from this event have been found in the Nile region.