HISTORY OF PASSOVER

This evening at sunset marks the beginning of Passover.  Exodus 12
in the Bible tells the story of Passover from the life of Moses.
Ten plagues were visited upon the Egyptian pharaoh (starring Yul Brenner,
but much better in "The King and I") to get his attention to release the
"children of Israel" from bondage. The final plague was the death of the
first-born son. The Jews were to smear the blood of a lamb upon their
door posts, so that the angel of death would "Passover" them unharmed.
Pharaoh relented and released the Israelites.

In making their hasty exit, the Jews did not have time to let their bread
rise, so in commemoration, they celebrate the Passover Seder ("order")
meal with unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and roast lamb to be eaten in
traveling garb.. This Feast of Unleavened Bread is a major holiday in the
Jewish when Jews from all over the world return to Jerusalem.  During
Passion Week, which was at Passover, the Jerusalem of Jesus' time would
have tripled from its population of about 50,000.

Could "The Last Supper" (made famous by da Vinci's painting) that Jesus had
with his disciples in the Upper Room have been a Passover meal? It seems
likely. It was at about the right time in the calendar. Some churches
commemorate this meal by using unleavened bread for their Communion
Eucharist.

	Bill Petro, your friendly neighborhood historian
	www.billpetro.com