Passover during the Time of Yeshua

Pesach, Passover, begins tonight April 22, 2016 at sundown. The link below will give you a glimpse of the magnitude of the celebration in first century Jerusalem before the Temple was destroyed.

The entire Jewish nation converged on Jerusalem from all corners of the ancient world to celebrate Passover in the Holy City. Some lived nearby, and had a comparatively easy journey; some came from neighboring lands and others traveled great distances, even from as far away as Rome. The pilgrims came in caravans, numbering hundreds and sometimes even thousands of participants. Each group brought the obligatory "half-shekel" donation to the Temple treasury, on behalf of their respective constituency. Preparations in Jerusalem for the influx of such large numbers began early. On the first day of Adar, a full six weeks before the festival, special agents appointed by the Rabbinical court went about the countryside "to repair the roads, squares, and mikvaot, and to insure that the gravesites were properly marked" (to protect the pilgrims from exposure to ritual impurity - Mishna Shekalim 1:1). After the rainy winter, it was important to make sure that the roads were not washed out, and all the approaches to Jerusalem were traversable. Likewise the city squares and public areas along the way were cleared, so that they could function as way-stations where the pilgrims might spend the night and replenish their supplies along their arduous journey. Read the complete article at -- https://www.templeinstitute.org/passover.htm