It has been suggested that the Plagues cast against Egypt in order to show God's power to Pharoah were caused by the eruption of the volcano Thera in the eastern Mediterranean, just north of Crete. Archaelogical evidence and excavation gives a wide range dates to place this large eruption. Dates have been labeled to the eruption event at a high of 1650 BC and a low of 1520 BC. With such uncertainty, perhaps we can at least take a look at the possibility of an eruption of this magnitude to see if there are possible visible affects on the Delta region of Egypt.
        The volcano eruption was an enormous act of God. It is known to have destroyed the island of Thera and buried the prosperous cities of the Minoan Cretes. The island of Thera before this eruption has often been a favorite origin of Atlantis for some scholars for various reasons. This eruption was a massive one that spewed ash and smoke 50 to 70 miles into the sky. Taking into account the curvature of the Earth, anything over 30 miles would be visible in the Delta region of the Nile.
        The effects of such a massive eruption would have been felt in the Delta and could coincide with the plagues mentioned in the Bible. Here is a comparison:
    1.  The Plagues of frogs and insects
            Mass insect migration is known to be a side effect of large eruptions such  as      Mt. Pelee and Krakatau.
    2.  The Rain of Hail and Fire
            Volcanic pumice and firey are commonly spewed from eruptions and can be felt hundreds of miles away such as with Mt St. Helens in the US.
    3.  The Death of Livestock
            The ash falling is known to be able to asphyxiate cattle much like snow. I remember stories I heard when I was younger about the hard winters on the American Plain. If there was a hard snow, the cattle would not move even when it built up so much that it froze their eyes shut and snow blocked their noses. The cattle would then die from not being able to breath.
    4.  River turned to Blood
            Thera is known to have a pinkish-red ash that falls when it erupts. This could have fallen into the Nile, turning the river to red and killing the fish.
    5.  Boils and sores
            Theran volcanic ash has been noted to cause skin irritations, boils, and sores. The Bible even notes that  "....a fine dust over the whole of Egypt...." caused the skin irritations.
    6.  Daytime Darkness
            The massive ash cloud associated with large eruptions are known to block out the light of the Sun.
    7   The Death of the First Born
            This one cannot be accounted for by the eruption of Thera.

        My personal opinion is that God may use his Creation in miricles. I have always thought that God acts within the physical rules that he set into place in the world. Afterall, every good leader who sets laws to his subjects must also be bound by the very same rules. So he may have used the volcano Thera to show his power to the Egyptians.
 
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