A History of Passover By History.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 04.10.17 Word Count 932 Boys show off their yarmulkes for Passover at the Gesher Jewish Day School in Fairfax, Virginia, in this 2008 file photo. Top row, from left to right, are: Casey Lamar, 12, Zachary Goldblatt, 12, and Ilan Bliss, 10, bottom row are: Daniel Dorlester, 8, and Lyle Miller-Green, 7\. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin Passover (Hebrew: Pesach) is one of the Jewish religion s most sacred and widely observed holidays. It commemorates the story of the Israelites departure from ancient Egypt. Jews observe the weeklong festival with a number of important traditions. These can include traditional Passover meals known as seders, the substitution of matzo for bread and a retelling of the Jews' legendary escape from Egypt. The Passover story According to the Hebrew Bible, Jews first began to settle in Egypt when Joseph, a founder of one of the 12 Tribes of Israel, moves his family there from their homeland, a region called Canaan. For many years, the Israelites live in harmony with the Egyptians. But over time, as their population grows, the Egyptians begin to see them as a threat. Eventually, a particularly hostile pharaoh orders their enslavement. He also orders the drowning of each Jewish family's firstborn son in the Nile River. One of these doomed infants is rescued by the pharaoh s daughter. He is given the name Moses (meaning one who is pulled out ) and adopted into the Egyptian royal family. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
When he reaches adulthood, Moses becomes aware of his true identity and the Egyptians brutal treatment of his fellow Hebrews. He kills an Egyptian slave master and escapes to the Sinai Peninsula in northern Egypt. There he lives as a humble shepherd for 40 years. One day, however, Moses receives a command from God to return to Egypt and free the Jews from slavery. Along with his brother Aaron, Moses approaches the reigning pharaoh (who is unnamed in the biblical version of the story) several times. Request is not granted He explains that the Hebrew God has requested that the Hebrews be allowed to leave for three days. When the pharaoh refuses, God unleashes 10 supernatural disasters, or plagues, on the Egyptians. The final plague is the slaying of every firstborn son by an avenging angel. The Israelites mark the doors of their homes with lamb s blood so that the angel will recognize and pass over each Jewish household. Terrified of further punishment, the Egyptians convince their ruler to release the Jews, and Moses quickly leads them out of Egypt. The pharaoh changes his mind, however, and sends his soldiers to bring them back. As the Egyptian army approaches the fleeing Jews at the edge of the Red Sea, a miracle occurs: God causes the sea to part, allowing Moses and his followers to cross safely, then closes the passage and drowns the Egyptians. According to the Hebrew Bible, the Jews, now numbering in the hundreds of thousands, then trek through the Sinai Desert for 40 long years. They finally reach their ancestral home in Canaan, later known as the Land of Israel. Questions of historical accuracy Despite numerous attempts, historians and archaeologists have failed to confirm the tale of the Jews enslavement in and escape from Egypt. Although the ancient Egyptians kept thorough records, no mention is made of an Israelite community within their midst. And there is limited proof of disasters resembling the 10 biblical plagues, though scientists have made some recent attempts to tie the biblical plagues to specific historical disasters. There is also no evidence of large camps in the Sinai Peninsula, where the Jews wandered after they fled. Lastly, there is nothing Israel s archaeological record that indicates the departure and return of a large population. A handful of scholars has suggested a link between the Israelites and the Hyksos, a mysterious people who might have been from Canaan. They controlled Lower Egypt (actually northern Egypt) for more than 100 years before being forced out during the 16th century B.C. Historians have not been able to prove this theory. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
Passover traditions One of the most important Passover traditions is removing all leavened food products (known as chametz) from the home before the holiday begins. This includes breads, muffins, pancakes any baked goods that "rise" with yeast or baking powder. Instead of bread, religious Jews eat a type of flatbread called "matza," "matzah" or "matzo." According to tradition, this is because the Hebrews fled Egypt in such haste that there was no time for their bread to rise. It also might have been because matzo was lighter and easier to carry through the desert than regular bread. On the first two nights of Passover, families and friends gather for a religious feast known as a seder. During the meal, the story of the Jews' escape from Egypt is read aloud from a special text called the Haggadah (Hebrew for telling ). During the reading, rituals corresponding with each part of the story are performed. For example, vegetables are dipped into salt water representing the tears Jews shed during their time as slaves. Bitter herbs (usually horseradish) symbolizing the unpleasant years of their enslavement are eaten. A seder plate at the center of the table contains symbolic Passover foods, including matzo, bitter herbs, and a bone from a lamb's leg, and a mixture of fruit, nuts and wine known as charoset. Other typical menu items include a matzo kugel (a pudding made from matzo and apples), poached fish patties called gefilte fish and chicken soup with meatless "balls" made of ground matzo. Four questions Children play an important role in the seder. At one point during the meal, the youngest child present recites the four questions, which ask what distinguishes this special night from all other nights. In many households, young people also enjoy hunting for the afikomen. The afikomen is a piece of matzo that is hidden early in the evening. The finder is rewarded with a prize or money. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz 1 Read the sentence from the section "Passover traditions." A seder plate at the center of the table contains symbolic Passover foods, including matzo, bitter herbs, and a bone from a lamb's leg, and a mixture of fruit, nuts and wine known as charoset. Which of the following words from the section provides context clues to the meaning of the word "symbolic"? Passover tradition representing typical 2 Read the section "The Passover story." Adding which of these sentences to the text would help explain the meaning of the word "pharaoh" in the context of the article? As the leader of the Egyptians, the pharaoh had great power. As the leader of the Jews, the pharaoh had great power. As the main god in Egyptian religion, the pharaoh had great power. As the main god in Judaism, the pharaoh had great power. 3 Read the section "Questions of historical accuracy." Why does the author include this section in the article? to describe archeological discoveries in Egypt to explain that Passover is not a real celebration to show that Moses was not a real person to place the Passover story in a historical context This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
4 Read the introduction [paragraph 1]. What purpose does the introduction serve in developing the main idea? It explains the religious significance of Passover for modern Jews. It briefly summarizes the main idea of each section of the article. It highlights the difference between the important foods in a seder. It explains why Passover is the most sacred holiday in the Jewish religion. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5