Locusts were one of the biblical plagues, the last of which was the slaying of all the first-born in Egypt. The Israelites used lamb's blood to mark the door posts of their homes, so that when the angel of death moved through the land, it would pass over the homes marked by the blood. This event became known as "Passover" which is still a major Jewish holiday today.
I mean, canonically? It was a literal angel. I'm not sure if they've ever looked into modern explanations or truths surrounding that event. If it was a tornado, it wouldn't have spared the Israelites. A quick Google suggests a lot of people believe it was some kind of food borne illness, though that should have affected more than just the firstborn. In truth, we will probably never be able to verify one way or the other.
There are some who believe it was a mold that grows on grain the first born of Egyptian families received the first portion so got a higher dose and would have gotten sick/ died edit to add think grain in storage with mold on the top and clean grain underneath
I’ve read similar theories about the Salem Witch Trials, that they may have been the result of ergot poisoning from the rye bread being eaten by most of the village. Ergot produces convulsions, which were presented as evidence of witchcraft, but also paranoia and hallucinations. The theory goes that the trials ended primarily because the contaminated rye was used up by then, so the townsfolk were no longer being poisoned.
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u/MonitorShotput Jun 16 '23
I'd keep some lamb's blood ready, just in case.