“Yahweh then said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will turn into gnats throughout the whole of Egypt.” Aaron stretched out his hand, with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth and there were gnats on man and beast; all the dust of the earth turned into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt. By their spells the magicians tried to produce gnats in the same way but failed, and there were gnats on man and beast. So the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh was obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to them” (Ex 8:12-15).