Ancient Near Eastern Index – Parashat Vaera/0

From AlHaTorah.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Ancient Near Eastern Index – Parashat Vaera

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Egyptian Slavery

The Plagues and Egyptian Deities

Both Shemot 12:12 and Bemidbar 33:4 explicitly state that the Plague of the Firstborn executed a "judgment against the [Egyptian] gods". Both Midrashim and scholars have suggested that the other plagues as well might have targeted what were believed to be Egyptian deities.

The Wonders and Egyptian Legends Dr. Nahum Sarna, in Exploring Exodus (New York, 1996): 66-70, identifies connections between the miracles performed by Moshe and Aharon and parallels in Ancient Near Eastern legend, including the following: 


  • The sign of the staff turning into a crocodile can be more fully understood against the context of the Egyptian legend of Khufu, narrated in brief here as Story 2 on the Westcar Papyrus. 
  • The Sumerian legend of Inanna and Su-Kale-Tuda, narrated in brief here, tells of a plague of water being turned to blood. 
  • The Egyptian text The Prophecies of Neferti describes wild animals overrunning the land as a symbol of destruction and chaos.