The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

evening. But before that—before the slaying of the
Paschal Lamb, on the afternoon of the 14th Nisan
—the visitor to the Temple would mark something
peculiar.* On the evening of the 13th Nisan, with
which the 14th, or ^ preparation-^y,' commenced,
the head of each household would, with lighted
candle and in solemn silence, search out all leaven
in his house, prefiicing his search with solemn
thanksgiving and appeal to Grod, and closing it by
an equally solemn declaration that he had
accomplished it, so fiv as within his knowledge,
and disavowing responsibility for what lay beyond
it. And as the worshippers went to the Temple,
they would see prominently exposed, on a bench in
one of the porches, two desecrated cakes of some
thankoffering, indicating that it was still lawfrd to
eat of that which was leavened. At ten, or at latest
eleven o'clock, one of those cakes was removed,
and then they knew that it was no longer lawful to
eat of it. At twelve o'clock the second cake was
removed, and this was the signal for solemnly
burning all the leaven that had been gathered. Was
it on the eve of the 14th, when each head of a