During the days of the Second Temple, Jewish people were instructed by the priests when to have all the hametz removed from their homes and destroyed. The priests would lay two loaves of the thank offering (Lev. 7:13) that were no longer edible on the roof of the Temple portico for everyone to see.

When they removed one loaf, the people were no longer permitted to eat anything containing leaven. When they removed the second loaf, it signaled the time for the burning of the hametz, at which time bonfires were lit all around Jerusalem.

It is important that the leaven be removed from the home before midday on the 14th, because in Temple days the Passover sacrifice was slain in late afternoon. Since the paschal sacrifice was not to be offered with leaven (Ex. 34:25), all leaven had to be eliminated during the morning hours.

Nullification may include either a physical destruction of the hametz or a mental renunciation. The Mishnah allows people who are away from home and are not able to return to destroy leaven in their possession to “annul it in his heart.”

In Second Temple days, once the leaven had been removed from the premises, it was time to take the chosen Passover lamb to the Temple for sacrifice. (There were so many pilgrims in Jerusalem at Passover [more than two million on one occasion] that the noise of the people and their animals could be heard far away.) Before the holiday commenced, messengers were sent out to the surrounding areas to tell everyone who had flocks and herds to bring them to Jerusalem so that there would be sufficient animals available for the pilgrims to sacrifice and eat.

As people arrived at the Temple Mount with their Passover lambs, which could range in age from eight days to one year old, they awaited the opening of the Temple courtyard doors. The priests then permitted the people to enter the courtyard and divided the crowd into three groups. As the first group entered, the gates were closed behind them and the shofar (ram’s horn) was sounded. The stones of the altar and the ramp leading to the altar, as well as the Temple sanctuary itself, had been whitewashed with plaster just for this occasion. The sight of the sparkling clean Temple area must have been magnificent.

The people then killed their animals, and a priest caught the blood of the sacrifice in a basin. Other priests were standing in two lines, those in one line carrying silver basins, and those in the second line carrying gold basins. As the first priest passed the blood-filled basin to the next priest in line, he received an empty basin in return. This exchange continued on down the line until the last priest tossed the blood on the altar, which had a red line around its middle. This line separated sacrificial blood tossed above the line from that tossed below the line, as was the practice at Passover. All of the priests involved in this procedure wore scarlet robes so that, in the event of an accidental spill, the blood on their clothing would not be noticed.

After the sacrifice, the animals were taken by their owners and hung on hooks in the walls and pillars. If all the hooks were in use, men held staves between their shoulders, and the carcasses were hung from the staves. The lambs were then flayed and taken home to be roasted. As the Passover lambs were slain, the Levites sang for each incoming group a collection of psalms called the Hallel (Ps. 113–118).

No one was permitted to eat the Passover feast alone. In fact, at least ten individuals had to be identified with each sacrifice, but not all ten had to be present at the Temple when the animal was slain. Non-Jews (Ex. 12:48) and apostate Jews (“foreigner,” Ex. 12:43) were not permitted to eat the Passover lamb. They were, however, permitted to eat the unleavened bread and bitter herbs. If people were unable to partake of the Passover because they were unclean or were on a journey, they were permitted to sacrifice the Passover lamb on the 14th of the following month (Iyyar) and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs (Num. 9:9–14).

During the evening Passover meal, it was customary to recline on pillows placed on the floor and eat from a low table. Reclining was the symbol of a free person (slaves were required to stand and do the serving), and on this night all were considered free. Today, observant Jews do not recline on the floor but on a pillow placed on the left side, usually in a chair.

Next week we will continue the with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.