The Ipuwer Papyrus, a poetic work by the ancient Egyptian scribe Ipuwer, has once again captured the attention of scholars and the public. The document details widespread death, the destruction of property, famine, and ecological disasters.
Some lines from the papyrus are strikingly similar to the biblical plagues. For example, the phrase “Blood is everywhere… Behold, the river is blood” recalls the story of the Nile turning to blood. Other passages describe the destruction of crops, felled trees, starvation, and an invasion of birds, which could be seen as parallels to the plagues of hail, famine, and locusts in the Book of Exodus. One section states, “Many dead are buried in the river, the stream has become a tomb,” while another concisely notes, “Everything is in ruins.”
The manuscript, now housed in the National Museum of Antiquities in the Netherlands, was discovered in the early 19th century. Modern research dates it to roughly 1550–1290 BCE, which coincides with the proposed timeframe for the biblical Exodus around 1440 BCE.
Biblical historian Michael Lehner points out that the text’s style might suggest an eyewitness account, though the papyrus makes no mention of Moses or the Israelites. Experts stress that the document should not be considered direct proof of the biblical plagues; instead, it likely reflects the social and natural upheavals that Egypt was experiencing at the time.
Nevertheless, the Ipuwer Papyrus offers a compelling glimpse into what the collapse of a society affected by famine, death, and chaos might have looked like, making it a document of great interest to historians and biblical scholars.
