1. The Reaping
The Ten Biblical Plagues
Science vs. Religion
What Do You Believe?
2. The Movie :The
Reaping
•The movie is about a woman
named Katherine who used to be
a ordained minister but she lost
her faith because of the
circumstances behind her
families murders.
• She is now a scientist who
goes around disproving miracles
with her friend and colleague
Ben.
•They are asked to travel to a
small town called Haven by the
local high school science teacher
named Doug.
•He wants her to prove to the
local towns people that a little girl
( Loren McConnell who’s life is
being threatened) has not
caused the town to be cursed by
the ten biblical plagues.
5. River Turned To Blood
Fiction Idea of Biblical The red river from the
River Turned To Blood movie. (4)
6. Pfisteria Theory
THE PFISTERIA THEORY WAS DEVELOPED BY DRS. JOHN
MARR AND CURTIS MALLOY. IT BASICALLY STATES THAT
THE BIBLICAL PLAGUES CAN ALL BE EXPLAINED
SCIENTIFICALLY AS A UNUSUAL AND TRAGIC SERIES OF
EVENTS. EACH EVENT HAS A RATIONAL AND EXPLAINABLE
REASON FOR HAPPENING.(1)
7. What is
Pfisteria?
Pfisteria was discover in
1991 by Drs. Ed Noga and
JoAnne Buckholder at NC
State University.(5)
Pfisteria is a dinoflagellate
that can produce toxins that
cause lesions on fish and it
eventually kills the fish. It
can also make people sick
if they come in close
contact with this
microscopic organism
causing burning
skin, respiratory problems
and difficulty
concentration.(5)
8. Fish that has been exposed to Pfisteria
According to the Bible the fish in the Nile river died
and the Nile’s waters were fouled. According to Dr.
Marr and Dr. Malloy the pfisteria used all of the
oxygen in the water killing the fish.
9. Frogs
The Doctors go on to state
that the death of the fish (
who eat the tadpoles
)caused an over population
of frogs and because of the
depleted oxygen levels of
the water the frogs fled to
the land. According to the
Bible the frogs even found
their way into the
beds, ovens and larders.
However frogs can’t live on
land permanently the must
have a water habitat to
survive and breed so this
combined with the pfisteria
bacteria killed the frogs.(1)
10. Lice
Dr. Marr and Dr. Malloy
began to search for an
insect that would fit the
description in the Bible and
they believe that insect is
the Culicoide. (aka. No-
see-ums) It lays its eggs in
the sand as described in
the Bible and it feeds on
dead animals such as fish
and frogs. (1)
11. Flies
Flies also used the dead
frog and fish bodies as a
breeding ground. There
would be an explosion of
these insects because their
natural predator frogs were
dead. This situation made a
perfect fly breeding
ground.(1)
12. Death of the Livestock
Culicoides are carriers for the
bluetongue virus which only affect
cows and sheep. The Doctors believe
Sheep with the
that this is what killed the hoofed
livestock of the Egyptians. Culicoides
Bluetongue Virus
don’t fly very well so, they probably
wouldn’t have been able to fly to the
Hebrew land of Goshen and affect the
Jewish slaves livestock.(1)
13. Boils and Sores
Dr. Marr searched for a
reason why the Egyptian
people suffered from boils
and sores and he
discovered that it could
have been caused by a
bacterial disease called
Glanders. It is very
contagious as an airborne
disease and is spread by
flying insects and it also
can be spread by eating
contaminated meat.(1)
14. Fire from the
Sky
This is believed to have
been a severe lightening
and hail storm that
destroyed much of the
Egyptian crops. Which they
described as fire in the
sky.(1)
15. Swarms of
Locusts
Then came the swarms of
locusts that would have
eaten the last of the crops
as well as any newly
planted seedlings.
According to the Doctors
the ancient Egyptians
would have been afraid to
lose the food left for them
to eat. They had already
lost the fish in the river and
the cattle to the bluetongue
virus so they would have
tried to save what little food
they had left.(1)
16. Three Days of
Darkness
Dr. Marr and Dr.
Malloy believe this was
caused by a huge
sandstorm.
Sandstorms produce
scorching winds
allowing the bacteria
and molds to grow.(1)
17. Death of the
Firstborn
Because the hail would have
broken and beaten the crops.
Laying on the ground they
would have been contaminated
with locust feces full of
microorganisms and bacteria.
The Egyptian might have taken
the contaminated grain to their
granaries allowing microtoxins
to grow. According to the
Doctors the eldest child in an
Egyptian family got the largest
portion of food at meal time
therefore causing them to get
the largest portion of
microtoxins causing their
deaths.(1)
18. What Do You Believe?
Science Religion
1) Algal Bloom ( Pfisteria ) 1) River turned to Blood
2) Frogs
2) Frogs 3) Lice
3) Cuilicoides 4) Flies
4) Flies 5) Death of the livestock
5) Bluetongue Virus 6) Boils and sores
6) Glanders 7) Fire in the sky
7) Hail and Lightening 8) Locusts
8) Locusts 9) 3 Days of Darkness
9) Sandstorm 10) Death of the Firstborn
10) Microtoxins
19. Questions
• Why did these events • Could God have chosen to
happen? use nature in his
• Was this just a tragic but punishment of the
scientifically explained Egyptian Pharaoh a self
series of events? proclaimed “ living God”
• Could this ever happen for not freeing the Hebrew
again? slaves?
• Did the Egyptian Pharaoh
cause these events by his
lack of his pride and lack
of faith?
20.
21. Bibliography
• Works Cited
• 1)Malloy, Dr. John Marr and Dr. Curtis. "New York Times." 11 2 2002.
Epidemiologic Analysis of the 10 Plagues of Egypt. 11 3 2011
<http://www.nytimes.com>.
• 2) Office, DHHS Public Affairs. What Should You Know About
Pfisteria and NC'S Waters. 22 September 1997. 11 3 2011
<http://www.enr.state.nc.us/files/pfies.htm>.
• 3) Ravers, Anne. Biblical Plagues: A Novel Theory. 4 April 1996. 11 3
2011 <http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/04/garden/biblical-plagues-a-
novel-theory.html>.
• 4) The Reaping. Dir. Stephen Hopkins. Perf. Idris Elba Hillary Swank.
2007.
• 5) Worrall, Jim. "National Agricultural Library." 6 June 2002. Review
of Systems for Early Detection and Rapid response. 11 3 2011
<http://search.nal.usda.gov>.
•
