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Religion: The Death of the Pharaoh’s Firstborn Son’—an 1872 canvas by Dutch artist Laurens Alma Tadema.

Religion: The Death of the Pharaoh’s Firstborn Son’—an 1872 canvas by Dutch artist Laurens Alma Tadema.

Dutch painter Laurens Alma Tadema lived in London where he developed a keen interest in Egypt and its ancient history.

In this masterpiece, he depicts a scene from the Book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, in which God sends the Egyptians a series of plagues, the last of which is the death of every firstborn son in the land of the Pharaohs.

From Exodus 12:29.32:

“And at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the Land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who sat on his throne, to the first-born of the captive in the dungeon and all the first- born of the cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord as ye have said. Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone.”

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