The concept of “boils” appears repeatedly in the Hebrew Bible, often signifying a profound physical affliction or a form of divine judgment. This affliction is most famously documented as the Sixth Plague inflicted upon Egypt in the book of Exodus. Understanding the nature of this historical affliction requires examining the biblical text and analysis by medical historians and biblical scholars. The Hebrew term used to describe this condition provides the textual basis for understanding the severity of this ancient epidemic.
The Sixth Plague of Egypt
The narrative of the Sixth Plague is documented in Exodus 9:8–12, following a series of devastating afflictions upon the Egyptian people and land. The account begins with a divine instruction to Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from a kiln or furnace. Moses was commanded to toss this soot into the air in the sight of Pharaoh, symbolizing the coming judgment. The particulate matter became fine dust that spread over the entire land of Egypt.
This cloud of fine dust resulted in painful, festering sores breaking out on both humans and animals throughout the region. The affliction was so severe that the Egyptian magicians, who had previously attempted to replicate earlier plagues, were unable to stand before Moses. This plague directly targeted the personal health of the Egyptians, contrasting with earlier plagues that affected the environment or livestock. The text notes that the boils afflicted the magicians and all the Egyptians, but the Israelites were spared from this epidemic.
Characteristics of the Biblical Boils
The specific Hebrew word used to describe the affliction is shehin (שְׁחִין), a term suggesting a localized, inflamed swelling. This word is derived from a root meaning “to warm” or “to burn,” indicating a sensation of intense heat or pain associated with the sores. Shehin is consistently translated in English versions of the Bible as “boils,” “festering sores,” or “blotches.”
Biblical descriptions indicate that shehin was an acute and painful skin disease that progressed into ulcers. The affliction was not limited to the Plague narrative; it also describes the severe malady that afflicted Job and the illness of King Hezekiah. Deuteronomy 28:27 mentions the “botch of Egypt,” referencing a severe, chronic skin condition prevalent in the region. This textual evidence points toward a dermatological epidemic characterized by painful, suppurating eruptions on the skin.
Scholarly Identification of the Disease
Modern scholarship offers several medical theories for the identity of the biblical boils, though the text’s miraculous nature makes a definitive diagnosis impossible. One leading candidate is cutaneous anthrax, a bacterial infection that affects both humans and livestock, matching the biblical description. The cutaneous form of anthrax produces a painful, black-centered lesion known as an eschar. The Greek root of the word “anthrax” means coal, possibly linking to the black soot used in the plague’s onset.
Smallpox is another frequently cited possibility, given its historical prevalence and its characteristic severe, pustular lesions that cover the entire body. However, the biblical text does not explicitly describe the high mortality rate associated with smallpox, suggesting the disease may have been severe but not widely fatal. Some researchers propose the affliction was a severe, localized dermatological condition, such as aggravated furunculosis or pestilential urticaria.
Environmental Factors and Alternative Theories
The biblical account’s detail regarding the soot from the kiln points toward a connection between environmental irritants and a subsequent infection. Soot and fine dust can carry irritants or bacterial spores. The soot from the brick kilns could have been contaminated with Bacillus anthracis spores from the preceding plague on livestock.
Other theories suggest a form of myiasis, where fly larvae burrow into the skin, causing boils. This could explain why the magicians were unable to stand due to the painful lesions. The unique features of the event, including the sudden onset and the affliction of both species simultaneously, lead many scholars to conclude the shehin was either a unique, divinely imposed malady or a highly virulent form of a known zoonotic disease.