Page 290 - Allah's Miracles in the Qur'an
P. 290
Allah's Miracles in the Qur'an
human history has been confirmed by the discovery in Egypt, in the
early 19th century, of the Ipuwer papyruses dating back to the Middle
Kingdom. After the discovery of this papyrus, it was sent to the Leiden
Dutch Museum in 1909 and translated by A. H. Gardiner, a prominent
scholar of ancient Egypt. In the papyrus were described such disasters
in Egypt as famine, drought and the fleeing of the slaves from Egypt.
Moreover, it appears that the writer of the papyrus, one Ipuwer, had
actually witnessed these events. This is how the Ipuwer papyrus refers
to these catastrophes described in the Qur'an:
Plague is throughout the land. Blood is everywhere. 219
The river is blood. 220
Forsooth, that has perished which yesterday was seen. The land is left
over to its weariness like the cutting of flax. 221
Lower Egypt weeps... The entire palace is without its revenues. To it
belong (by right) wheat and barley, geese and fish. 222
Forsooth, grain has perished on every side. 223
The land-to its whole extent confusion and terrible noise… For nine days
there was no exit from the palace and no one could see the face of his fel-
low… Towns were destroyed by mighty tides… Upper Egypt suffered
devastation… blood everywhere… pestilence throughout the country…
No one really sails north to Byblos today. What shall we do for cedar for
our mummies?… Gold is lacking… 224
Men shrink from tasting-human beings, and thirst after water. 225
That is our water! That is our happiness! What shall we do in respect
thereof? All is ruin! 226
The towns are destroyed. Upper Egypt has become dry. 227
The residence is overturned in a minute. 228
The chain of disasters which struck the people of Egypt, according
to this document, conforms perfectly with the Qur'anic account of these
matters. 229 This papyrus, which closely parallels the catastrophes which
struck Egypt in the time of Pharaoh, once again demonstrates the
Qur'an to be divine in origin.
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