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Australia is grappling with its worst rodent infestation in over a decade – and there's speculation from believers it could be a Biblical plague from the heavens.
Mice "plagues" are a regular occurrence Down Under, striking about once every 10 years when the conditions are right.
In the last year, mouse populations have spiked from Queensland to New South Wales to Victoria thanks to bountiful crops following heavy rains.
Expert Steve Henry says the mice feast on the emerging crops and reproduce every three weeks, making them almost impossible to cull – and introducing poison into the food chain could prove devastating for the ecosystem.
"The mice have continued to breed through the spring, into the summer and now the real concern is that they'll continue to breed into the autumn and cause a lot of trouble for the sowing of winter crops (in March/April)," he told AAP.
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"You can force a farmer to do something about rabbits or foxes but because they're all-pervasive when in high numbers, everywhere you turn there's a mouse… it's just impossible to get on top of them."
It's particularly troubling because farms across Australia are only now recovering from a drought that's lasted several years, and the hungry mice are ruining the hopes of any future harvest.
Israel365 News, a website describing itself as offering "a fresh and Biblical perspective on the latest news from Israel and the Middle East," has offered a novel explanation for the phenomenon.
"This wave very much resembles the Biblical plague in this respect, coming as part of a wave of catastrophes that left the land of Egypt bereft of any food," a new article by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz reads.
It goes on to explain how the plague that infested Egypt in the Bible has been interpreted as consisting only of locusts, but translations by Judaic authorities have understood the word "arov" to mean a mixture of wild animals.
The article details a number of global catastrophes bearing some resemblance to the 10 Plagues of Egypt that God sent down to free the Israelites from slavery.
Coronavirus causes new 'Locust-19' plague that 'will devastate millions' in East Africa
"Eastern Africa has been suffering a multi-year plague of locusts, with each year getting worse," it says.
"In addition to the Covid pandemic, Somalia has suffered widespread flooding, generating a massive food-crisis. On Wednesday, Somalia declared a national state of emergency."
If these disasters really are heaven-sent plagues, it means the Messiah (a saviour described as the "future redeemer of the Jewish people") is sure to appear on Earth any day now.
"According to Jewish tradition, the ten plagues will reappear before the Messiah," the article explains.
"Rabbi Yosef Berger, the rabbi of King David's Tomb on Mount Zion, explained this aspect of the Messianic process to Israel365 News, quoting the Prophet Micah.
"'I will show him wondrous deeds As in the days when You sallied forth from the land of Egypt'. Micah 7:15.
"'All of the miracles will reappear, all of the plagues, the entire story, in all its pain and all its glory,' Rabbi Berger said.
"'Our job in this generation is to speak about it, to pray for it, even while it is unfolding in front of our eyes.'"
It's not the first time the site has reported on current events through the lens of Biblical prophecy.
Last month it published an article suggesting rare snowfall in Saudi Arabia was the fruition of the "rivers in the desert" omen from Isaiah and could mean the end of the world is near.
- Rats
- Bible
- End Of The World
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