Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-19
FEAST OF THE PASSOVER.
PREPARATIONS FOR CELE-
BRATING THE FESTIVAL.

Unleavened Bread To be Eaten for
Seven Days in CommemorauiOn of
israePs Bondagein Egypt-A Festi-
val Over Three Thousand Years
Old-How il will be Observed in the
Jewish Church.
Tomorrow the Jewish people Will cele-
brate one OF the greatest festivals in
the Hebrew church-the Feast of Unleav-
ened Bread. This is the first of the three
great annual feasts instituted by Moses,
and is in commemOration of the departure
OF the. children of Israel from Egypt.
Three thousand one hundred and fifty
eight years ago the 20th of this month
Moses began his pilgrimage. In Exodus,
xii, 1t is recorded that the Lord spoke unto
Moses and Aaron commanding that on a
certain day each family should slay d
lamb and sprinkle the blood on the
two side posts. and above the door of
the house in which the lamb is eaten
with u~nleaveDed bread and with bitter
herOs." The lamb was to be eaten ''wIth
your Ioins girded, your shoes on your
leet, and yOur staff In your hand; aud We
shall eatit in haste; it ia the Lords pass
over For" saith the Lord, Il will
pass through the land Of Egypt this night
and Will smIte all the first born III the
land OF Egypt, both man and beast, 4 n #
and the blood shall be to you tor a token
upon the houses where We are, and when
L see the blood 1 will pass over you and
the plague shall not be upon you to de-
strOy you, = " < and this dav shall
be unto YOU for a memorial
Moses rod had been turned into a SER
pent aud back TO a rod again. The won
deriul work OF delivering the children of
Israel from the bondage OF the Egyptians
had been begun. The river had been
turned to blood, the plaques of the lice
and flies, the murraln OF beasts, the
plaques Of hail and lOcusts and darkness,
all had come, but still "PuaraOh's heart
was hardened and he would not let them
60" At last the terrible death plague
was sent, and there was a great cry in
Egypt, Tor there was not a house where
there was not one dead"
Then 1T was that a wall went up from
Egypt; and the children Of Israel were
not only allowed to go. but were told to
go in haste, and not stand on the order of
their going. The people baked their
dough before it was leavened, because
their kneading trOughs were packed Tor
the travelling.
1t Is in memory of this departure that
the approaching festival is TO be observed.
Every JEWISH uOuScuOiQ IN the IanQ Is De-
ing put in order, and today will find
everything in trim condition for the feast.
This evening exercises will be held
at the synagogue, and again on Tues
day. The orthodox Jews will have cere-
monies at home this evening. At
these private ceremonies there will be
unleaYened bread, representing the kind
OF bread the children Of Israel ate in their
haste to leave Egypt; bitter herbs, repre-
senting the bitterness Of bondage; and
a mixture representing the mortar
used TO build the cities that We're
built tor Pharaoh during the TIM
OF slavery. There viii also be a repre-
sentatiOn Of the Paschal lamb and red
wine representing the Red sea. This
"Paschal meal" is a hallOwed family
feast. Orthodox Jews are very particu-
lar about the wine used, and will take
none that is not sealed with a seal show
ing that il comes from Jewish vineyard.
Often thls wine is brought from Jerusa-
lem. For seven days after this first day
OF the feast the only bread eaten is I'M
leavened bread. This bread is made in
little cakes something like a large
cracker, ana contains nothing but water
and flour. The festival closes on April 27,
with a holy convOcation at the synagogue.