The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-03-02
The Egyptian Plaques.
(From the Independent

From the independently
by far the most graphic account. in condensed
form, of historical and contemporary analogies
to the plaques of Egypt that we know of has
Just been contributed by DIR. George Ebers to
Rheims Handt0orterbuch des Bi5l,schen Alter.
tums.' We translate:
The plaques that according to Exodus vii
and following chapters, were inflicted upon
Egypt may be recognised as a series of calam
tiles which In more or less mild form have oc.
Cured in the Valley of the Nile at every period
From among them scarcely single application
was omitted which appeared suitable to fill the
soul of an ancient Egyptian with aversion fear
terror, and lamentation
When We read that the Nile turned into
blood, its fishes died, and the stream stank, it's
water could no, longer be drank, and. instead
thereof, blood was found in vessels of wood
and stone, If we are not ready to admit the
ABOVE remark, we may turn our attention to
certain actual phenomena which also in
former times and in like manner transn;red
whenever an unhappy failure of inundation
took place; an event more often than other
wise followed by famine and pestilence. In
fact, almost every year the water of the Nile
at other times so agreeable to taste and whole
some. was won't shortly before the advent of
the lnundatlon, to become turbid. reddish
yellow (when it was nearly blood coiored) nm.
wholesome, and almost unfit for use. During
the frightful pest that visited Egpyt under
the reign of Hasan, chief of the Mameluks
trom November, 1348. to January, 1349). the
dead OF lnnumerable fishes covered the sur
lace OF the Nile, and even plants seemed to be
seized by the malady, for even dates on the
palms were unserviceable and attacked by
worms In the period of misfortune depicted
by ADD el-Latif, no less terrible phenomena
manifested themselves upon the Nile and along
its surroundings
Frogs, naturally, were always in force on
the Nile, and the figure of the frog worm was
from the earliest time employed as a hero
glyph, which was read Hefennu,' to represent
the number 100000, and thus any great null
titude.
Gnats were likewise a continual plague to
the Egyptians. Every one who has tarried
longer than usual time on the Nile has found.
above all things else, the sting of the little
gnats to be peculiarly painful, against whom
in the warmer portion of the year even the
screen OF gauze hung round beds affords insult
hcent protection. The Arabs call these petty
beasts Feed and be quiet That they were
not wanting in olden times is indicated by
passage IN the medical Papyrus Ebers,' which
In lap. %, COL l. mentions means of prevent
ing the bites of gnats (chennus) In the dog
lilies we may recognise the dreadful species of
CESSNA, or Tsetse,' whose sting was sufficient
to Kill cattle, horses, and asses, though mankind
was not subject to Its attack. Hartmann. how
ever, informs us that they did not pass further
north than Chart1m
residence was one of the scourges eariy
widely spread through the East 1t is difficult
to determine what SORT of fearful contagion af
tiicted Egypt in early ages. We are not reouired
to understand. The stroke of fatal visitation
winch Manetho describes as having fallen over
the Valley OF the Nile in the first dynasty under
Oenephes and Semempses, as one of sickness.
especially as Eusebius, according to the Armen.
ian version, translates (imos, not Loimos) fumes
e., famine and phthord neqiste naariynos coy11np
zones. However, we have no need of his testi-
mony for hieratic texts teach that the pestilence
aat had ragged IN Egypt already prior to the
exodus OF the Hebrews. 1t was Chabas who
hrst caught and pointed out the application OF
this word when it was made use of to brand.
alter the expulsion of the Hyksos the distasteful
o me- intruders who accordingly were styled
the Pestlil,ence, the pest-plague,' the pesti
Iential fellows. Indeed, this sore trial must
have returned frequently; for the Papyrus
speaks of it as the yearly'-e e.. the pestilence re-
turning every year. Horapollon SAYS that when
In the pestllence season allthings animated and
inanlmated (by this plants and beasts), were
seized by the morbid matter, the doves remained
untouched, and then the kings ate onlv sncb
birds. In favor of this notice the fact that in
The Papyrus Ebers' the blood and liver of doves
are mentioned among remedies appears to us es
peclally interesting. By the same medical doc
ument maladles are mentioned which NAV be
recognized as blotches, fevers, pocks, and the
ike Most OF the Greek reporters speak of lep-
rosy (Manetho) and pestilence (Hekateus, of
ADdera), which the narratives of the Exodus of
the Jews also mentioned after their own manner.
For pocks In particular we must narrow down
10 those diseases which the Papyrus Ebers'
calls kakan and sechen The sickness STYLED
annu (blotches) Is rather a spotted typhus than
any sort of pocks.
p" Thunder, hail, rain are dstinctiyely natural
phenomena, which tell upon the Egyptians all
the more frightfully from the fact Of occurring
seldom In their almost rainless land We our
serves have experienced thunder storms and
awful outpourings of rain in the neighborbood
OF Antlnoe, In Upper Egypt. Ddmichen first
DEouSht 10 notice an inscription from Dendera
which sets forth the design, that the masts
dressed with bronze were erected beside the
Pylones, in order to ward off the tempests of
heaven p'''' "
Locusts are plague that, even in modern
periods, from time to time visits the valley of
the Nile In portentous wise. Hartmann gives
the name of the wandering locust, which causes
such severe devastation in Egypt, as oedipoda
c'nerGScens. Lepsius presents u.s. in his Letters
from Egypt and Ethiopia, an extremely vivid
description OF an invasion of this scouree which
ne fell In with while at the cemetery of Mem
pms; and we ourselves, on the first day of jan
qary' 1870, saw countless swarm alipht at
Luxor and ravage the fields. ONLY ten davs
later the desert in the vicinity of Tell ell Amarna
sswarmed with descending stragplers of this LARGE
Dr0WnlSh- green yoranious insect p, a. 20 4