For Christians, Easter is a celebration of the
resurrection of Jesus Christ -- and arguably the most important date on the
religious calendar. Easter marks the end of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting
and reflection. The day holds the promise of victory over death, a new life and
the forgiveness of sins. The first recorded observance of Easter happened in
the second century, though it is
likely that Christians were celebrating the resurrection much earlier than
that. Today, the holy day has inspired a wide variety of traditions -- from
Sweden’s trick-or-treating Easter witches to Venezuela’s tradition of burning
effigies of Judas. Read about the five little-known facts about the Easter
holiday at -- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/01/facts-about-easter-you-didnt-know_n_6982358.html
The witnesses, laying their coats at the feet of Saul, were the men that would cast the first stones at Stephen in Acts 7. Why did they all lay their coats at Saul’s feet? The Talmud contains a very interesting account of the act of stoning that may provide the answer. “When the trial was over, they take him [the condemned person] out to be stoned. The place of stoning was at a distance from the court, as it is said, ‘Take out the one who has cursed.’ [i] A man stands at the entrance of the court; in his hand is a signaling flag [Hebrew sudarin = sudar , ‘scarf, sweater’]. A horseman was stationed far away but within sight of him. If one [of the judges] says, ‘I have something [more] to say in his favor,’ he [the signaler] waves the sudarin , and the horseman runs and stops them [from stoning him]. Even if [the condemned person] himself says, ‘I have something to say in my favor,’ they bring him back, even four of five times, only provided that there is some substance to...
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