I am always amused, and at the same time horrified, by the account of the third plague. "Aaron held out his arm with the rod and struck the dust of the earth, and vermin came upon human and beast. All the dust of the earth turned to lice throughout the land of Egypt.

Almost all rituals that initiate candidates into a defined group involve saying something. When someone comes forward to be a citizen of the United States they take an oath of allegiance. New police swear an oath to never betray their badge, their integrity, their character or the public trust.