Passover

===In the Book of Exodus===
{{Further|Plagues of Egypt}}
In the [[Book of Exodus]], the Israelites are enslaved in ancient Egypt. [[Yahweh]], the god of the Israelites, appears to Moses in a [[burning bush]] and commands Moses to confront [[Pharaoh]]. To show his power, Yahweh inflicts a series of 10 plagues on the Egyptians, culminating in the 10th plague, the death of the first-born.

{{blockquote|This is what the {{LORD}} says: "About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt{{snd}}worse than there has ever been or ever will be again."|Exodus 11:4–6}}

Before this final plague Yahweh commands Moses to tell the Israelites to mark a [[domestic sheep|lamb]]'s blood above their doors in order that Yahweh will pass over them (i.e., that they will not be touched by the death of the firstborn).

The biblical regulations for the observance of the festival require that all [[Leavening agent|leavening]] be disposed of before the beginning of the 15th of Nisan.<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|13:7|HE}}</ref> An unblemished lamb or goat, known as the {{transliteration|he|[[Passover sacrifice|Korban Pesach]]}} or "Paschal Lamb", is to be set apart on 10th Nisan,<ref name="bibleverse|Exodus|12:3|HE"/> and slaughtered at dusk as 14th Nisan ends in preparation for the 15th of Nisan when it will be eaten after being roasted.<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|12:6|HE}}</ref> The literal meaning of the Hebrew is "between the two evenings".<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|12:6|ESV}} English Standard Version</ref> It is then to be eaten "that night", 15th Nisan,<ref name="Exodus 12:8">{{bibleverse|Exodus|12:8|HE}}</ref> roasted, without the removal of its internal organs<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|12:9|HE}}</ref> with unleavened bread, known as [[Matzah|matzo]], and bitter herbs known as {{transliteration|he|[[maror]]}}.<ref name="Exodus 12:8"/> Nothing of the sacrifice on which the sun rises by the morning of the 15th of Nisan may be eaten, but must be burned.<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|12:10|HE}}</ref>

The biblical regulations pertaining to the original Passover, at the time of the Exodus only, also include how the meal was to be eaten: "with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the {{LORD}}'s passover".<ref>{{bibleverse|Exodus|12:11|HE}}</ref>

The biblical requirements of slaying the Paschal lamb in the individual homes of the Hebrews and smearing the blood of the lamb on their doorways were celebrated in Egypt. However, once Israel was in the wilderness and the tabernacle was in operation, a change was made in those two original requirements.<ref>{{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|16:2–6|HE}}</ref> Passover lambs were to be sacrificed at the door of the tabernacle and no longer in the homes of the Jews. No longer, therefore, could blood be smeared on doorways.