An epidemiologic analysis of the ten plagues of Egypt
Marr, J.S.; Malloy, C.D.
Caduceus 12(1): 7-24
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0882-6447 PMID: 8673614 Document Number: 213
The sudden death of Egyptian people and their animals may be due to the precipitous raid of improperly stored grains, fodder, and foodstuffs. Elder, more responsible, or more powerful individuals would have had first access to granaries and may have inhaled aerosolized S. afro mycotoxins. Those people would also be first to eat the breads or drink the beer produced from the moldy wheat and barley, respectively. Similarly, the more dominant animals would eat grain and straw on which a patina of mycotoxin-producing fungi grew. Soon thereafter, acute symptoms and sudden deaths may have alerted both man and animal of the danger in ingesting the grains and grain products. Subsequently, once granaries had been aired, the inhalational route was no longer a factor. In addition, deeper stores of wheat and barley may have not been as heavily contaminated by the surface-growing fungi, and therefore, relatively safer to eat- sparing less powerful man and beast. The Hebrews in Goshen, who had experienced neither the calumny of tainted fish and meat nor the destruction of crops, nor famine, would also have avoided the mass-poisoning due to those mycotoxins. That, then, is our explanation for the most devastating, tenth and last plague of Egypt, and the proceeding plagues that may have contributed to it. Numerous theologians and biblical scholars have authored previous, significant, original, and unique contributions to the eclectic interpretation of causes of the Ten Plagues (most notably Hort, Hoyte, and Schoental). We greatly acknowledge their hypotheses and add our interpretation and a final synthesis to that impressive collection of literature. It is a tragic and powerful story of two proud peoples- the Egyptians, under Thutmose III at the height of their empire, and the people of Israel about to become a nation. We hope that others might wish to begin where we concluded, and to follow with their own interpretations. We end with this note: The long Jewish tradition about the first Passover began at the end of the ninth plague. It is a celebration of the first meal to mark the Hebrews' escape from the many plagues, and from the tenth plague. The Passover celebration consists of eating symbolic newborn, healthy lamb shank, fresh herbs, and horseradish- all safe from mycotoxin exposure. It also requires eating unleavened bread made from fresh flour, which is, by definition, free of any yeasty or other mycotoxin contamination.
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