17. A Growing Crescendo of Catastrophes
A fourth plague brought swarms of flies that created chaos. The fifth plague was a deadly disease that devastated the Egyptians’ livestock, but spared the Israelites’ animals. The sixth plague consisted of painful boils on humans and animals. It was followed by the seventh plague, a massive hailstorm that destroyed crops, animals, and property.
Then came the eighth plague, locusts that devoured all the vegetation that had survived so far. A ninth plague plunged Egypt into total darkness for three days, except in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwelt. The tenth and final plague was the most severe: the death of all firstborns in Egypt, from Pharaoh’s son down to the firstborn of slaves and even livestock.
