Boils, but actually we have no idea what the correct modern translation
is, so let’s just say it was a non-fatal but highly unpleasant skin
disease – oddly enough it afflicted people and “livestock,” so maybe
the pigs and chickens and ducks not killed in #5? (Exodus 9:8-12);
A storm, with lightning and hail, which may have killed some people and
certainly killed “livestock” (those pesky livestock just won’t stay dead
– although some apologists have interpreted this as the Egyptians
buying new livestock after each plague…: Exodus 9:13-35);
Locusts, this is to clean up anything living on the ground after the hail
storm, so we see that YHWH is aiming to starve the Egyptians, since
most of the plagues deal with destroying their food supply – except for
the pigs (Exodus 10:1-20);
Darkness for three days, perhaps interpreted at the time of Exodus’
composition as a way to insult the Egyptian solar god Ra, except for
the Hebrews who had light in their houses – obviously an early supply
of flashlights? (Exodus 10:21-29).
Now let’s stop for a minute before we get to the last plague.
The Evil Bit
Throughout this protracted narrative, the formula is the same. Moses goes
to the unnamed King, asks for the Hebrews’ freedom, is rebuffed and
promises a plague. In some cases the unnamed King’s magicians do magic
themselves or are the ones attesting to the might of YHWH’s magic.
Although you would think that the creator of the billions of galaxies in the
universe could come up with a better trick to impress people then just
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