The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-30
Time OF Passover.

From ECbrksadelphtan staEdpeint1 4
Editors Of Dispatch !: 7 see Ia your issu
this morning an article from Mr. Michel
basher upon this subject. beg space to
show reason for correcting his statement, as
follows:
sfPsssover is and always has been sele.
brated by the commands Of God himself on
the fifteenth day.0
Upon the authority OF Moses exodus
xiv, o. the lamb waato be killed on the eue.
ming of the 14th day Of the first month.
Two points must be settled at the start.
First: What part OF the day Is here meant ?
Second. Did the Jews eat the lamb the
same day, or did they do SO on the 15sh2
Because if the authority Of Noses fixes these
answers positively, then that is what we
one evening and lasted to the same time next
evening. The proof of 1t here Is seen in the
destruction of the first born Of the Egyp.
tians, which took place at midnight of the
14th day-Exodus xii, 20. Verse 6 Moses
SAYS: "Tbe lamb was to be killed in the
eueninq of the 1Ah day OF first month"
Now, il can easily be seen II must have been
killed at or subsequent to sunset OF that
day. For if killed earlier, then 1t must have
been upon the 18th day and not on the 1kh
day. :
From this conclusion there can be no
escape. Since the passing over Egypt IN
Judgment was at midnight OF the 14.b, the
paschal lamb been previously killed, 1t must
have been at or after sunset, and eaten in
the beginning Of that day.
will now refer to other remarkable %
tices of the Passover in the history Of the
Jews, because their ancient practice will
show in what light they regarded this mat
ter.
Joshua vi, 10, says "And the children
of Israel encamped in Giigal and Kept ths
Passover on the 18th day Of the month al
| suen." As to what is meant by "6ept" the
festival, the whole process Of killing. dress
ing, and eating the lamb must have been In.
| cluded.
or the Passover kept 10 Josish's reign We
are told III. Chronicles, xxxV. chapter, /, a.
| and 16) all the service of the Lord was pre-
| pared the same day. Verse says it wa.
the 18th day Of the frst month. That pre-.
| peration consisted in killing, sprinkhng the
blood, roasting, distributing, and eating the
paschaI lamb ". 10 and 1e):: Verse IA shows
much of this business was gene through
~ far into t, night" OF the l4th day. The
contemporary history of II. Kings, xxiii, Fl,
o., this Passover records Jcslah's royal com
nand TO the people, and points to the true
| guide, saying, "Keep the Passover unto the
Lord your God, as !! is ,critten IN the book
| of the couendnt"
it appears this writer has fallen into the
common error Of confounding the feast OF
the Passover with the feast OF unleaVened
bread. In proof Of their distinctiveness as
get forth in the Law, let me cite Numbers.
xviii, 1s, II: "In the 14sh day OF the
month Is the Passover Of the Lord; and In
the 18th day Of this month is the feast; seven
| daye shall uneaveHed bread be eaten."
Josephus describes these feasts (Ant. Ill,
T.. 5): On the 14sh day of the lunar month
the law ordained that we should every year
! slay that sacrifice which Is called the Pass
over.
The feast of unleavened bread succeeds
that of the Passover, and falls upon the l5.n
day OF the month, and continues seven days.
Your readers can now determine If the
Passover was celebrated at its foundation by
Israel in Egypt, BY Joshua and his contem-
poraries, or by Josiah and the people, upon
the 14sh or 10Th Of the month.
Very respectfully, JAMES LuxFoRD.
Richmond, MarcD 49, 1876.