The Plagues of Egypt and Ancient Egyptian History, The Ipuwer Papyrus

The Bible tells us that Moses confronted pharaoh and told him to let God’s people go. Pharaoh refused, therefore God sent a series of devastating judgments on the land of Egypt and an ancient Egyptian papyrus provides great details about these acts of God. The Ipuwer Papyrus now resides in the National Archaeological Museum in Leiden, the Netherlands and its contents are unparalleled. One of the most interesting records of the Ipuwer Papyrus is the account of the River Nile turning to blood, as mentioned in the Bible.

I will harden pharaoh’s heart and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt
– Exodus 7:3

In the exodus account the Bible says, ‘All the waters that were in the river turned to blood’ Exodus 7:20. The papyrus says, ‘The river was turned to blood.’
The Bible says, ‘The Lord sent thunder and hail and fire darted to the ground…so there was hail and fire’ Exodus 9:23-24. The papyrus says, ‘Fire ran along the ground. There was hail and fire.’
The Bible says, ‘Locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and they ate’ everything Exodus 10:14-15. The papyrus says, ‘Grain has perished on every side…no fruit or herbs are found.’
The Bible says, ‘There was thick darkness in the land of Egypt’ Exodus 10:22. The papyrus says, ‘The land is not light.’
The Bible says, ‘The Lord struck all the first-born in the land of Egypt’ Exodus 12:29. The papyrus says, ‘He who places his brother in the ground is everywhere.’
The Bible says, ‘There was a great cry in Egypt’ Exodus 12:30. The papyrus says, ‘Groaning is throughout the land, mingled with lamentations.’

When this papyrus was first interpreted, it was believed by many to be the Egyptian account of the biblical plagues. However, some scholars suggest it may describe the fall of the Old Kingdom. Nevertheless, for many biblical scholars, the unprecedented association with the Bible’s account seems to indicate this document describes the same events as chronicled in Scripture.

We have verifiable evidence available in museums to prove Israel existed by 1200 BC and King David was the founder of a dynasty. In our explorations of ancient Egypt, we found credible evidence that the claims found in exodus are based on real-world history.