Final answer:
The 10th plague, or the death of the first-born sons of Egypt, was the final convincing event for Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The personal loss and threat to Egypt's future made Pharaoh relent, and the sparing of Israelite homes during the plague signified a divine intervention, leading to the Israelites' exodus and the celebration of Passover.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 10th plague, which was the death of the first-born sons of Egypt, played a crucial role in convincing the Pharaoh to release the Israelites from bondage. This plague was the last and most terrible in a series of miraculous plagues that demonstrated the power of the Hebrew god. As documented in biblical sources, such as Exodus, Pharaoh's resolve finally broke after the immense loss and sorrow brought by the tragedy of losing all the first-born to the plague. The preceding plagues had already wreaked havoc, but the personal nature of the loss of the first born, which also threatened to end family lines and thus the future of Egypt, was what ultimately led Pharaoh to concede. Furthermore, during the plague, the houses of the Israelites were spared, due to the mark of lamb's blood on their doors — an act commanded by Moses, representing a divine sign of protection. This event is memorialized in the Jewish tradition as Passover, symbolizing the salvation from slavery and the beginning of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.