Illuminated plagues Scenes of the Ten Plagues from the Golden Haggadah, illuminated vellum manuscript, 14th century, Spain. Top right: frogs. Top left: lice. Bottom right: swarms. Bottom left: pestilence. (more) Ten Plagues of Egypt Written by Charles Preston Charles Preston is Associate Editor for Religion at Encyclopædia Britannica. Charles Preston Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 27, 2026 •History Each year during Passover, at the seder meal, celebrants of the Jewish holiday recite the Ten Plagues of Egypt in sequence while removing 10 drops of wine from their cups. The list of 10 afflictions is found in the Book of Exodus, in which the Ten Plagues serve as a series of divine acts meant to force Pharaoh to free the Israelites from enslavement in Egypt. In the Hebrew Bible’s narrative in Exodus, Moses arises...

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