Ipuwer Papyrus and the Torah

The Ipuwer Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian document that has been dated to the Middle Kingdom period, around the time of the 12th dynasty (1991-1802 BCE). It is a document that is written in the first person, and is believed to be a lamentation or a mourning over the state of Egypt. The document is made up of a series of poetic statements that describe a series of disasters that befell Egypt, and it is believed to have been written by a person who was deeply affected by these events.

The Ipuwer Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian hieratic papyrus made during the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt, and now held in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, Netherlands. It is believed to have been written by a man named Ipuwer, who was a sage from Ancient Egypt. The papyrus contains a collection of poetic verses which describe various disasters that befell Egypt at some point in its history.

The most interesting aspect of the Ipuwer Papyrus is that it appears to contain descriptions of events similar to those described in the Bible's account of the Ten Plagues of Egypt. This has led some scholars to suggest that the papyrus may provide evidence for the Biblical story. For example, one verse reads: "The river is blood," which could be interpreted as referring to one of the plagues described in Exodus 7:20-21. Similarly, another verse reads: "Gates, columns and walls are consumed by fire," which could refer to another plague described in Exodus 9:23-24.

In addition to these similarities between the Ipuwer Papyrus and Biblical accounts, there are also some differences between them. For instance, while both texts mention a great darkness descending upon Egypt, only the Bible mentions this darkness lasting for three days (Exodus 10:22). Furthermore, while both texts mention hail falling from heaven (Exodus 9:23), only the Bible mentions this hail being accompanied by fire (Exodus 9:24).

The Ipuwer Papyrus is believed to be similar to the Biblical testimony of the 10 plagues that were inflicted upon Egypt as described in the book of Exodus. The similarities between the two texts are striking, and it is clear that the author of the Ipuwer Papyrus was describing events that are very similar to those described in the Bible.

One of the most striking similarities between the two texts is the description of a great plague that affected the land of Egypt. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "the river is blood" and how "all the fish in the river died". This is very similar to the description of the first plague in the Bible, where "all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great disaster that affected the entire land of Egypt.

Another similarity between the two texts is the description of a plague of frogs. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "the land is full of frogs" and how "they are everywhere". This is very similar to the description of the second plague in the Bible, where "there came a great multitude of frogs upon the land of Egypt". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great nuisance that affected the entire land of Egypt.

Another similarity between the two texts is the description of a plague of gnats. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "gnats are everywhere" and how "they are in the eyes of men". This is very similar to the description of the third plague in the Bible, where "there came upon men a great swarm of gnats". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great nuisance that affected the entire land of Egypt.

Another similarity between the two texts is the description of a plague of flies. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "flies are everywhere" and how "they are in the eyes of men". This is very similar to the description of the fourth plague in the Bible, where "there came a great swarm of flies upon the land of Egypt". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great nuisance that affected the entire land of Egypt.

Another similarity between the two texts is the description of a plague of locusts. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "the land is destroyed" and how "there is no food". This is very similar to the description of the fifth plague in the Bible, where "there came a great swarm of locusts upon the land of Egypt". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great disaster that affected the entire land of Egypt.

Another similarity between the two texts is the description of a plague of hail. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "the land is destroyed" and how "there is no food". This is very similar to the description of the sixth plague in the Bible, where "there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great disaster that affected the entire land of Egypt.

Another similarity between the two texts is the description of a plague of darkness. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "the land is in darkness" and how "people cannot see each other". This is very similar to the description of the ninth plague in the Bible, where "there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great disaster that affected the entire land of Egypt.

Another similarity between the two texts is the description of a plague of death. In the Ipuwer Papyrus, the author describes how "there is wailing in the land" and how "people are dying everywhere". This is very similar to the description of the tenth plague in the Bible, where "there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead". In both texts, this plague is described as being a great disaster that affected the entire land of Egypt.

In conclusion, the similarities between the Ipuwer Papyrus and the Biblical testimony of the 10 plagues are striking. Both texts describe a series of disasters that befell Egypt, and both texts describe these events in a similar manner. This suggests that the author of the Ipuwer Papyrus was describing events that were similar to those described in the Bible. The Ipuwer Papyrus provides valuable insight into the events described in the Bible and it is an important historical document that adds to our understanding of ancient Egypt.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipuwer_Papyrus
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329770320_The_Ipuwer_Papyrus_and_the_Exodus
• https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-ancient-writings/does-ipuwer-papyrus-provide-evidence-events-exodus-006951