The blood-red hue of the Sea of Galilee in Israel has prompted some residents to predict an impending apocalypse.

Witnesses at the biblical body of water reported seeing red waves wash ashore, fueling concerns of a “divine warning.”

While on social media, Christians made comparisons between the sea’s changing color and the biblical tale of the ten plagues that struck Egypt.

The Bible story of the plagues describes how God punished Egypt to rescue the Israelites from slavery.

After the rivers became blood, killing fish and polluting drinking water, Egypt saw nine further plagues, including frog, gnat, and fly infestations, cattle sickness, boils, severe hail, locusts, three days of darkness, and, finally, the death of all firstborn sons.

However, Israel’s Ministry of Environmental Protection has offered comfort concerning the new “Red Sea” by stating that a normal algae bloom caused the color shift.

Botryococcus braunii, a green microalga, was identified as the cause of the metamorphosis, according to the ministry.

When exposed to high levels of sunshine, this organism produces red pigment.

Further study by the Kinneret Research Laboratory has determined that the algae are not harmful to public health.

Officials have even stated that swimming is safe, despite the water’s unpleasant look.

Individuals who touched the discolored water experienced no ill health impacts or allergic reactions.

The lake holds deep religious significance for both Christian and Jewish populations, as it has been the site of numerous miracles attributed to Jesus.

These include his walking on water, feeding the 5,000, and Peter’s incredible catch of fish.

The Sea of Galilee was also where Jesus gathered his first disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

For many Christians, the crimson waters remind them of the first plague detailed in Exodus, when Moses smote the Nile with his rod at God’s instruction.

“Thus says the Lord: By this, you will know that I am the Lord. Exodus 7:17-21 states, “Behold, with the staff that is in my hand, I will strike the water of the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.”

This is not the first time water has turned crimson in the Holy Land.

In 2021, a lake near the Dead Sea in Jordan’s Moab region had similar discoloration, causing concerns due to Moab’s link with the destroyed towns of Sodom and Gomorrah.