Plagues! The history, effect, fear, and future of plaguesPlagues have evidently been with us since before we began to document our lives. Since the beginning disease and sickness has troubled our species. Some special diseases have broken out into a wide reaching infective level. These fast spreading diseases have been called various things, but the ones that have had a significant effect on either the local or world population are reserved a special place in our thoughts and fears.
We have named them several things, but the word has been used to label the most horrific of them all. These outbreaks of disease that spread fast, infected many, and killed thousands have been documented since before the bible used them to describe the special wrath of God that was sent down to the King of Egypt. They are responsible for the loss of millions of lives over our written history and some believe have altered the very course of human life on earth. One is responsible for the loss of over one third of the European population! Fear of epidemics is a central theme in our history. We see them written about in the Bible, we have seen movies about them, and we have heard (learned and memorized) songs about them as children. The thought of contracting an infectious disease that brings a slow and painful death sparks a primal fear within us. This fear can be so significant that this fear alone can debilitate entire populations. I group them into four major categories. First I recognize those found in the Bible. Next I group all of the outbreaks of the Bubonic disease (possibly the deadliest infectious disease the planet has ever seen). All other documented outbreaks that venture into the epidemic and/or pandemic category is the third. Finally I have created my own “future” group. Biblical Plagues: The Bible is certainly not short of references to the idea. Specifically Exodus discusses several that were sent down upon the King of Egypt in an effort to convince him to release God‘s people. Another group can be found in Revelation when the apocalypse is unleashed by the seven angels holding seven bowls of God’s wrath. Bubonic Plague: The grand daddy of all…This one has killed more over human history than the world wars. It has shown up in many places over history and has been called many things. This one was so horrific that it can be attributed to having altered the very course of human history! Others: There are several outbreaks of diseases such as AIDS, Small Pox, Measles, and others. Certainly a deadly group, some of these are responsible for the loss of millions of lives. Future: We are all aware of the history that has already been written. And I am sure that most of us have heard that history has proven to repeat itself…with a bit of imagination, you will see how these can come about in our future. Be Good! Curt
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