The narrative of the Exodus from Egypt is central to Jewish history and tradition. Passover (Pesach) is one of the most significant Jewish holidays, commemorating the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Its name comes from the miracle in which God “passed over” the houses of the Israelites, sparing them from death during the tenth plague on Egypt.
The story involves Moses, tasked with leading the Israelites out of slavery, and his confrontations with the Pharaoh. Among the pivotal events are the ten plagues, each designed to persuade the Pharaoh to release the Israelites.
Among these plagues, the seventh holds a unique place. To fully understand its significance, it's essential to consider the events leading up to it and its immediate consequences.
Two years after vanishing into the Sudanese desert, the leader of a British archeological expedition, Professor Harold McCabe, comes stumbling out of the sands, frantic and delirious, but he dies before he can tell his story. The mystery deepens when an autopsy uncovers a bizarre corruption: someone had begun to mummify the professor's body--while he was still alive. His strange remains are returned to London for further study, when alarming news arrives from Egypt. The medical team who had performed the man's autopsy has fallen ill with an unknown disease, one that is quickly spreading throughout Cairo. Fearing the worst, a colleague of the professor reaches out to a longtime friend: Painter Crowe, the director of Sigma Force. The call is urgent, for Professor McCabe had vanished into the desert while searching for proof of the ten plagues of Moses.
Let's delve into the details of this event.
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The Ten Plagues of Egypt
The Ten Plagues were a series of calamities that, according to the Book of Exodus, God inflicted upon Egypt to persuade the Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. These plagues demonstrated God's power and served as a divine judgment against the Egyptian gods. Each plague targeted different aspects of Egyptian life, from their water supply to their livestock and health.
Here's a brief overview of all ten plagues:
- Water turned to blood
- Frogs
- Gnats
- Flies
- Livestock disease
- Boils
- Hail
- Locusts
- Darkness
- Death of the firstborn
The seventh plague, hail, was particularly devastating, combining severe weather with divine retribution.
What was the meaning and purpose of the ten plagues of Egypt?
The Seventh Plague: Hail
The seventh plague was a destructive hailstorm, unlike any Egypt had ever seen. Exodus 9:23-25 describes it as a severe storm with hail and fire (lightning) that struck all the land of Egypt, destroying crops, trees, and livestock. This plague was unique in its severity and comprehensive damage.
Passover takes place in early spring, beginning on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Nisan and lasting for seven days in Israel and eight days in the Diaspora.
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The hail was not just a natural phenomenon; it was a targeted strike that spared the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. This distinction highlighted the divine intervention and the difference between the Egyptians and the Israelites.
During Passover, Jews abstain from all leavened products (hametz) and eat unleavened bread (matzah). In anticipation of Passover, Jews traditionally clean their homes of all leaven - defined as fermented food prepared from five species of grain: wheat, barley, oats, spelt and rye. These grains may only be consumed in the form of matzah, a specially-prepared flatbread which has no added yeast and which has been cooked, start to finish, in under 18 minutes to prevent natural fermentation. Cleaning the home involves not only ridding cupboards of leavened foods, but also cleaning surfaces to remove any potential fallen crumbs.
After the home has been cleaned, dishes, pots and cooking appliances are kashered - made specially kosher for Passover. Any leavened foods that are not consumed or disposed of before the holiday are sold to non-Jews for the duration of the holiday.
The primary ritual of Passover is the seder, an elaborate evening meal that involves eating an array of symbolic foods, including matzah, bitter herbs (maror), parsley (karpas) dipped in saltwater and a sweet paste called haroset. The seder’s rituals and liturgy are laid out in the Haggadah, a book that serves as a guide to the proceedings. Iconic seder rituals include drinking four cups of wine, having the youngest child present recite the Four Questions, breaking the middle matzah to make the afikomen and opening the door at the end of the evening to welcome the prophet Elijah.
The purpose of the seder is to relive the experience of the Exodus from Egypt, to pass down the communal memory of the foundational Jewish story, and to reflect on the theme of divine redemption. All Jewish communities hold a seder on the first night of Passover after sundown. Although the primary focus of Passover is the seder and the distinctive diet observed all week, there are also special synagogue services for the holiday.
Read also: The Devastating Locusts of Egypt
Jews attend synagogue in the morning on the first and last days of the Passover. Those services include special biblical readings, including Song of Songs and Hallel, a collection of psalms of praise and thanksgiving (which is also recited at the seder). During the last days of Passover, Yizkor, a service in remembrance of the dead, is recited at synagogue - one of four times per year this happens.
The origins of Passover lie in pre-Israelite spring celebrations of the first grain harvest and the births of the first lambs of the season. In a Jewish context, this agricultural rite became merged with the celebration of God’s great redemptive act at the time of the Exodus.
Passover is one of three pilgrimage festivals in Jewish tradition, all of which weave together agricultural and historical themes. The other two are Shavuot (barley harvest/giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai) and Sukkot (fall harvest/wandering through the wilderness after the Exodus). In ancient Israel, Jews traveled to Jerusalem three times per year for each of these pilgrimage festivals. Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the focus of Passover shifted to the seder which normally takes place at home.
Passover marks the beginning of a period of the Jewish calendar called the Omer. This is a seven-week period that lasts until Shavuot, the next major Jewish festival, and it is considered a period of semi-mourning.
The seventh plague demonstrated God’s power over nature.
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The call is urgent, for Professor McCabe had vanished into the desert while searching for proof of the ten plagues of Moses.
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