One month before the feast, preparations for the same were put in hand. Roads and bridges were repaired for the companies of pilgrims, and burying- places which were lying in the way, and likely to be unnoticed, were whitened, that the travellers might avoid defilement. Flocks and herds were tithed, and persons ceremonially unclean went up to Jerusalem out of the country to purify them- selves (Jn IP^K As the time drew nearer, the significance and laws of the feast were explained in the academies and synagogues, the last two Sabbaths before the Passover being specially occupied with this exposition.
The numljer of those who took part in this festival was enormous. Every male Jew residing within fifteen miles of Jerusalem, and not cere- monially unclean, was required to do so, and in addition, numerous visitors from other parts of the Holy Land, and from other countries near and far, travelling Avith their gifts, and with song, swelled the number of residents. Women as well as men were eligible for participation, and though the observance was not compulsory, tlie privilege was often embraced (IS Ps Lk^2^i-^, Jos. BJ VI. ix. 3, ^lish. Fcsa'hun ix. 41. The nearest approach to a census is that given by Josephus, and, though certainly exaggerated, it shows the vast concourse which the fea.st brought together. He states that at the Passover of .\.D. 65 there were 3.0<XI,0<XJ persons present (BJ il. xiv. 3i. while in another place (VI. ix. 3) he relates that, at the request of Cestius, the priests counted the number of lambs slain .is 2.56.500. Remarking that the minimum number permitted for a lamb was ten persons, Josephus calculates the number at 2,700,000. An ai^cient Jewish tradition gives the number of Passover lambs on one occasion as 1,200,000. It was customary to extend hospitality to the numerous visitors. This was done without charge, but as a return the host received the skin of the lamb and the vessels used by his guests. Many must have tented outside the city. In this vast crowd, with the sense of nationality strong, and its religious feelings at the highest tension, It is easy to understand the dread of possible disturb- ance which from time to time appears in the Gospel narratives (Mt 265, Lk 23-^ Jn 18^).
The feast proper began with the evening of the 14th Nisan ; it must be borne in mind that, accord- ing to Jewish reckoning, this was the first half of the day. It was succeeded by the daj"s of Un- leavened Bread, which sometimes gave a name to the whole festival (Lk 22M. On the evening of the 14th it was the dutj- of the master of each house to take a lighted wax candle, in silence thoroughlj- to search all the house for leaven and to remove it to a safe place. This investigation was preceded and followed by prayer. A portion of leavened food sufficient for the family requirements had been put aside, and it was lawful to eat this until 11 o'clock on the morning of the 14th, though a stricter school drew the limit at 10 o'clock. At midday all leaven was to be completely and solemnly destroyed, by burning or otherwise. The times of this obligation were notified in the follow- ing way : ' Two cakes of thanksgiving ottering which had been desecrated were exposed on a Ijench or gallery of the Temple. While they lay there all the people yet ate leaven ; when one was removed, they abstained from eating it but did not bum it ; when both were removed, all the people com- menced burning the leaven " (Pes. 1. 5). Secular work was gradually cea-sing. In Galilee the whole day was one of rest. In Judjea work continued till noon ; but only what had been begun covdd be finished ; no new work could be commenced. Only tailors, barbers, and sandal-strap makers were allowed to follow their avocations. At 1.30 o'clock the daily evening sacrifice was killed, and at 2.30 it was I oftered up. In each case this was one hour before ! the usual time of killing and ottering ; if the 14th j Nisan fell on a Friday [i.e. Thursday evening and j Friday morning according to our reckoning), these I times were made each yet an hour earlier to avoid I possible desecration of the Sabbath. By the time I this daily sacrifice was ottered, the lambs had lieen I brought to the Temple by those who had been selected to represent each Passover group at the slaughter of the victim. Each lamb was required to be not less than eight days or more than one year old. The great company was divided into three sections, the ritual observed being the same in each case. The first section entered the Court of the Priests, the gates lieing thereupon closed, and the tmmpets blo%\'n three times. Although the priestly course on duty for the week attended to the daily sacrifice, to meet the necessity of the ' Pa.ssover the whole priestly body was in attend- ance. It stood in two lines which ended at the altar, one row holding silver, the other golden bowls. Each man representing a Passover group killed his oa\ti sacrifice, the nearest priest caught the Ijlood in his bowl, passed it to a fellow-priest ' and he again to another, while each as he received the full bowl handed back an empty one. The bowls were made without bases, and could not stand if placed on the ground, coagulation being in this way avoided. When the bowl was received by the priest nearest to the altar, lie cast it with one jet at the base. Meanwhile the ' Hallel ' j (Psalms 113 to 118) was recited, the Levites leading I the song, the people rei)eating the first line of each Psalm and also three others of the closing Psalm, but otherwise responding ' Hallelujah ' to each line. If the sacrifices were not completed, the Hallel was sung a second or even a third time.