Scientism on Plagues, or Vice Versa

Can the 10 plagues in Exodus be explained by science? Only through the plague of scientism, which is plagued itself by its own miracles.

For Passover season, Live Science Staff proves that their anti-supernatural bias is not directed solely at Christians. For Jews celebrating the escape from Egypt, they put out a piece called “The Science of the Ten Plagues,” purporting to show that the dramatic events of Exodus were merely well-known natural events.

Could any of these plagues have occurred through natural phenomena? Live Science looks at possible scientific explanations behind each of the 10 plagues.

Here are their ‘scientific’ explanations:

1. Plague of Blood: just a common ‘red tide’ that happened in the Nile this time.
2. Plague of Frogs: there have been reports of “raining frogs” at other times.
3. Plague of Lice: might have been common bubonic plague.
4. Plague of Flies: could have been any wild animal, including flies, bears, or scorpions.
5. Plague of Livestock Death: could have been a virus called rinderpest.
6. Plague of Boils: might have been smallpox.
7. Plague of Hail and Lightning: was this the eruption of Santorini?
8. Plague of Locusts: the ash from Santorini might have created conditions for this infestation.
9. Plague of Darkness: could have been a solar eclipse (not usually 24 hours, though), or ash from the volcano.
10. Death of the Firstborn: that red tide in the first plague infected the grain which the firstborn picked and ate. (Not clear why only the firstborn did this, or how firstborn babies could be out picking grain.)

Poor old Pharoah was sure unlucky to have all these things happen around the same time. Isn’t it amazing that these plagues each happened after Moses told Pharoah they were coming? It must have been a miracle that they hit only Egypt and not Goshen. Strange, too, that each of them seemed aimed at showing the powerlessness of Egypt’s idols. Coincidences do happen.

That’s what happens when you try to rationalize God’s sovereign actions. You end up believing in bigger miracles anyway.