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Chapter 7

1 But the Lord said to Moses: Look, I have made you a God to Pharaoh, and Aaron, your brother, will be your prophet: (Again repeating what has already been said – in order to better seal).

2 You will say whatever I command you, and Aaron your brother will tell Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go out of his land; (The end justifies the means!).

3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will show a multitude of my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt; (Miracles are necessary, how can they be without them to affect the public).

4 Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my army, my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments; (Pharaoh’s reaction will be clear).

5 Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them. (That is, the chief priest is the lord).

6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, and so they did. (They are already sealed).

7 Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they began to speak to Pharaoh. (Moses – 40, Aaron – 41,5).

8 And the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: (New instructions).

9 If Pharaoh says to you, «Do a miracle,» then you say to Aaron, «Take your rod and throw it before Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.» (Magic tricks begin, snakes began to appear en masse due to the deterioration of the water).

10 Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and did as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and he became a serpent. (One of the vases of ancient Lagash, Sumer, depicts two crowned snakes with wings, the other vase depicts snakes wrapped around a rod, it dates back to the middle of the III millennium BC).

11 And Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers; and these magi of Egypt did the same with their enchantments.: (Enchantment means enchantment, enchantment, that is, hypnosis, it is also possible that various snakes have emerged from the wands).

12 Each of them threw down his rod, and they became serpents, but the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods. (Most likely, Aaron’s snake was just more venomous and aggressive).

13 Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. (Pharaoh is still against Aaron and Moses, who of those in power admits his weakness!).

14 And the LORD said to Moses, «Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn: he does not want to let the people go. (Moses complains to his patron, as a man would do in relation to his master).

15 Go to Pharaoh tomorrow: behold, he will come out to the water, you stand in his way, on the bank of the river, and take the rod that turned into a serpent in your hand (a new instruction, so the Lord God does not have the necessary power to influence Pharaoh).

16 And say to him, The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness; but, behold, you have not obeyed hitherto. (Previous indication).

17 Thus saith the LORD: By this you will know that I am the LORD: with this rod, which is in my hand, I will strike the water that is in the river, and it will turn into blood (A new «miracle»).

18 And the fish in the river will die, and the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be disgusted to drink water from the river. (The priest knows that the harbingers of a volcanic eruption begin, therefore he threatens the Egyptian pharaoh with all sorts of troubles).

19 And the LORD said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of the Egyptians: over their rivers, over their streams, over their lakes, and over every receptacle of their waters, and they will turn into blood, and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in wooden and stone vessels. (The biblical myth of the transformation of water into blood goes back to the Sumerian myth «Inanna and Shukallituda», where we are talking about a goddess who, wanting to take revenge on the person who insulted her, turned all the waters of the country into blood).

20 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. And [Aaron] lifted up the rod and struck the river water before the eyes of Pharaoh and before the eyes of his servants, and all the water in the river turned into blood, (The fulfillment of the «miracle»).

21 And the fish in the river died out, and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. (Various underwater volcanoes can be harbingers of underwater volcanic activity, the activity of which is manifested on the surface of rivers by the release of huge masses of steam and gas, the emission of slag and gases, which lead to the appearance of red water, as it were, as a result, fish and aquatic vegetation die, which indicates that the «river stank», that is, it has become unsuitable for drinking and household use).

22 And the magi of Egypt did the same by their enchantments. And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. (The Magi of Egypt also used the situation to their advantage).

23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and his heart was not moved by this either. (Most likely, he did not guess the reasons – volcanic activity, and considered it all the machinations of the gods. As for Santorini (Tyra, Cyclades archipelago), variations are possible here. There is also an assumption by Alexey Morozov («Science and Religion», 1990, No. 3) that the reform is connected with the eruption of the Santorini volcano in about 1380 BC. Clouds that covered the sky, poisonous rains, cold – all this could cause a sharp transition to increased worship of the «angry» Sun god. Santorini is an active shield volcano on the island of Tyre, another name Fira, in the Aegean Sea, the eruption of which led to the death of Aegean cities and settlements on the islands of Crete, Tyre and the Mediterranean coast. The eruption dates back to 1645—1600 BC (according to various estimates), the eruption had a power of 7 points. The eruption destroyed the Minoan civilization of Crete and caused a giant tsunami about 18 m high (according to other estimates up to 100 m). The ash cloud stretched for 200—1000 km. The Aegeans were skilled sailors, warriors and merchants, and their fleet reigned supreme in the Mediterranean. The island of Tyre was the metropolis of the Aegeans, where the capital of Tyre and other settlements were located on the slopes of Mount Santorini. At the foot of the mountain was the best harbor on the Mediterranean Sea. The sudden and catastrophic eruption of the Santorini volcano destroyed the capital of the Aegeans, Thiru. The earthquake that began warned the residents of Tyre and they, having embarked on their ships, left their native island. Having spewed out a colossal amount of red-hot ash and pumice, the volcano emptied its interior and the huge volcanic cone, unable to withstand its own weight, along with the deserted cities and roads on its slopes, collapsed. The sea waters gushed into the giant abyss that had formed. A giant tsunami wave formed, which washed away almost all coastal towns and villages. The Aegean civilization ceased to exist. Mount Santorini has disappeared. A huge oval abyss – the caldera of the volcano was filled with the waters of the Aegean Sea, which is clearly visible on the satellite image. The largest Minoan eruption in ancient history on the island of Tyre, or Fira, occurred in 1628 BC (dendrochronological date). The next – the most powerful – occurred in 1380 BC (approximate date). The last one happened in 1950. The island of Tira, or Fira, is located at the junction of two plates – African and Eurasian, which contributes to the occurrence of volcanic relief and manifestations of volcanic activity in these areas, including on the island of Tira).

24 And all the Egyptians began to dig near the river to find water to drink, because they could not drink water from the river. (The Egyptians began to look for sources of clean water).

25 And seven days were fulfilled after the LORD had smitten the river. (7 days is a short period, perhaps the tactic of «sacred» numbers is used here»).

Chapter 8

1 And the LORD said to Moses, Go to Pharaoh and tell him: thus saith the Lord: let my people go, so that they may serve Me; (It is difficult to say for sure which Pharaoh is meant here, perhaps it is Amenhotep IV, who became Akhenaten (the time of his reign is unknown for sure, presumably the end of the XV – beginning of the XIV century BC, the difficulty lies in the fact that the chronology in Egypt went according to the years of the reign of the pharaohs, and it is extremely difficult to determine exactly how many years have passed from this or that event to the beginning of our modern Gregorian chronology. In addition, the ancient Egyptian «civil year» did not coincide with the solar one. It was divided into 3 seasons: «flood», «shoots», «dry», consisting of 4 months of 30 days, which was 360 days, to which 5 days of holidays were added. In addition, some lists of rulers were deliberately crossed out and forwarded, others completely disappeared from official lists, what happened to Akhenaten, many lists do not indicate the duration of the reign of certain kings, but only their chronological sequence is given, different kings could also reign simultaneously in different parts of Egypt), or someone the other one. Amenhotep IV was the youngest son of Amenhotep III. However, his elder brother Thutmose died during his father’s lifetime, as a result of which the succession passed to Amenhotep. Egyptologists disagree on whether Amenhotep IV was the co-ruler of his father, who was seriously ill in recent years, and if so, for how long. Initially, historians tended to conclude that Amenhotep IV had been his father’s co-ruler for quite a long time, presumably until the age of 12. Modern Egyptologists Eric Klein, Nicholas Reeves, Peter Dorman and others tend to conclude that if the period of joint rule took place, it could not have been longer than 2 years. Donald Redford, William Murnane, Alan Gardner and Lawrence Berman deny the possibility of joint rule of Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV. In 2014, the Egyptian Ministry for the Protection of Antiquities announced that the study of the inscriptions on the grave of Amenhotep III proves the joint rule of Amenhotep III and Amenhotep IV for eight years. Regardless of the possibility of joint rule, Amenhotep IV was not depicted in the monuments created by his father. Akhenaten’s mother Teye (Erich Tseren, «Biblical Hills», Moscow, Pravda Publishing house, 1986, pp.404—405) was the daughter of the Mesopotamian king Mitanni (the state of Mitanni was located approximately at the junction of the current borders of Syria, Iraq and Turkey, where there are now battles with the IS troops). And Mitanni was in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC one of the most powerful states. Analysis of a number of proper names from Mitanni and surrounding areas, including the names of members of the royal dynasty, shows the presence of Indo-European elements in Mitanni, related to the Indo-European tribes of Northern India. This is even more clearly indicated by the mention in the treaties between the Hittite kingdom (the Hittite language is Indo—European) and Mitanni, among others, also Indian deities – Indra, Varuna and the twin brothers Ashwin, under one of their names – «Nasatya», as well as the presence of a number of Indian words in the Hittite translation of the treatise on horse breeding Mitanni Kikkuli).

2 But if you do not agree to let go, then, behold, I will strike your whole region with frogs; (Toads, most likely, have already begun to appear and the priest scares them with their appearance).

3 and the river will rise up with frogs, and they will go out and enter into your house, and into your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens, and into your sauerkraut (Frogs have come out of rivers and lakes because of the water in them deteriorated, which, in turn, is associated with the manifestation of volcanism).

4 Frogs will come up on you, and on your people, and on all your servants. (Toads can appear anywhere).

5 And the LORD said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the lakes, and bring out the frogs on the land of Egypt. (The wand is a distraction here, in fact the toads have been on the way for a long time).

6 Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came out and covered the land of Egypt. (That’s what all magicians do).

7 The magi did the same with their enchantments, and brought frogs to the land of Egypt. (The Magi of Egypt can also do such «miracles»).

8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, «Pray to the LORD that he will remove the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.» (Sooner or later toads will leave this territory, looking for the necessary clean water).

9 Moses said to Pharaoh, «Appoint for me a time when I will pray for you, for your servants, and for your people, so that the frogs will disappear from you, in your houses, and remain only in the river. (Supposedly prayer will solve the issue, in fact, here we are also talking about a distracting moment, the gods, having heard the appeal to themselves, will have mercy and remove the toads).

10 He said, Tomorrow. [Moses] answered: [It will be] according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God; (We need a demonstration that the god of Moses and Aaron is stronger than all other gods).

11 and the frogs will depart from you, from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people; only in the river will they remain. (Magma flows will come to the surface sooner or later and the water will gradually clear).

12 Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs that he had brought upon Pharaoh. (Toads should disappear).

13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses: toads died out in houses, courtyards and fields; (Of course, after a while the toads who could not find clean water died).

14 and they gathered them in heaps, and the earth stank. (Now the earth also began to emit different odors and gases due to the numerous corpses of toads).

15 When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. (Pharaoh still does not believe in the god of Moses and Aaron).

16 And the LORD said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the earth, and it will become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt. (The wand is again a distraction, in fact, midges appear over the remains of toads).

17 So they did: Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats appeared on people and cattle. All the dust of the earth became gnats throughout the land of Egypt. (Male midges feed only on plant juices, females of most species are bloodsuckers, but at the same time they, like males, feed on plant juices, for the development of female eggs, blood sucking is necessary. Therefore, during the mating period, they accumulate in mass around people and animals).

18 The magi also tried to produce gnats by their charms, but they could not. And there were gnats on people and on cattle. (Nevertheless, midges are everywhere).

19 And the magi said to Pharaoh: this is the finger of God. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. (The Pharaoh should not have seemed weak in relation to other gods).

20 And the LORD said to Moses, «Get up early tomorrow and appear before Pharaoh.» Here, he will go to the water, and you tell him: Thus saith the LORD: Let my people go, that they may serve me. (The priest is bending his line, as he needs soldiers for conquests).

21 But if you do not let my people go, then, behold, I will send dog flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses, and the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with dog flies, and the very land on which they [live]; (There are many flies in Egypt and Judea, and one of these species, found by recent travelers near the Nile River and called the Abyssinian fly (zebub), is also as large as a bee and is so harmful to cattle and other animals that shepherds are often forced to leave their pastures and flee from those places where the said fly appears or to escape from the sting of it by throwing yourself into the sand or sea mud. Cattle are horrified at the sight of these insects; even an elephant and a rhinoceros, although their skin is covered with a copious layer of dirt, are unable to protect themselves from their sting. The annoyance and anxiety caused by these insects were so strong that the Canaanites even had a special deity, whose special purpose was to protect them from flies (Beelzebub is the god of flies).

22 And on that day I will separate the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, and there will be no dog flies, so that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth; (The manifestation of volcanism in Goshen, most likely, was not, and the priest knew about it).

23 I will make a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow there will be this sign. (Divide and conquer!).

24 So the LORD did: a multitude of dog flies flew into the house of Pharaoh, and into the houses of his servants, and over all the land of Egypt: the land was destroyed by dog flies. (As you know, it is very difficult to drive away flies, especially if there are food residues and excrement, flies are also carriers of a huge type of diseases, among which are such genuine scourges of humanity as typhoid fever, dysentery and brucellosis. It is known that in Goethe’s «Faust» Mephistopheles is called the god of flies. In the Sumerian legend of the flood, Ut-Napishtim also sacrificed to the gods, who gratefully circled over the smoke, flying «like flies». The ancient Egyptian military commander Amenemheb was awarded the Order of «Two Flies» for his military services. It seems that the gods were hungry for the sacrificial fragrance that served them as food, and expressed gratitude for the resumption of the custom).

25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, «Go and sacrifice to your God in this land.» (Pharaoh released the Jews).

26 But Moses said, This cannot be done, for our sacrifice to the LORD our God is abominable to the Egyptians: if we offer a sacrifice abominable to the Egyptians in their eyes, will they not stone us? (Someone else’s sacrifice, and this is the rule of talion, does not bring relief).

27 We will go into the wilderness, three days’ journey, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he tells us. (It is necessary to go to the desert, which proves that the ancestors of the Jews came from deserts, former nomads).

28 And Pharaoh said: I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but do not go far away; pray for me. (Pharaoh also wants to join the «strong» god).

29 Moses said, «Behold, I am going out from you and I will pray to the LORD, and the dog flies will depart from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people tomorrow, only let Pharaoh stop deceiving, not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. (The solution seems to have been found).

30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. (Moses already fully believes his patron-leader).

31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses, and removed the dog flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people: there was not one left. (After a while, the flies leave the territory, the corpses were filled in, the water was purified).

32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time, and did not let the people go. (So trust the rulers after that, they are so crafty!).