718 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. you. xxxtv. 
chapters of the book of Exodus. It begins on the evening of the 14th 
of Nisan (March-April) and continues, with the Jews who live in 
Palestine, for seven days, with those in other places for eight days. 
It is the first of the three pilgrimage festivals (shalosh regalim), 
the others being the feast of the weeks, or Shabuoth, occurring seven 
weeks after Passover, at the close of the spring harvest, now chiefly 
observed in commemoration of the giving of the Torah, and the feast 
of Tabernacles or booths Sukkoth (for which see below.)* Passover 
thus begins the ecclesiastical year.” 
73. Lirurcy ror THE Tree Frstivats (mahzor, 1. e., cycle) con- 
TAINING THE PARTICULAR PRAYERS, HYMNS, AND SCRIPTURE LESSONS 
INCORPORATED IN THE SERVICE OF THE SYNAGOGUE FOR THE THREE 
FESTIVALS, ACCORDING TO THE RITE OF THE PorTrucuEsE JEws (Sefar- 
dim).—Printed in Amsterdam, Holland, in 5488 A. M. (=1728 
A. D.), (Cat. No. 3690, U.S.N.M.) 
Lent by Hadji Ephraim Benguiat. 
OBSERVANCE OF PASSOVER IN THE JEWISH HOME. 
In ancient times the celebration of Passover centered around the 
Paschal lamb. <As it could not be slaughtered outside of the sanc- 
tuary,° its use ceased with the destruction of the Temple, and the 
eating of unleavened bread, or mag¢oth, is now the principal feature 
of the Passover feast. The eating or even the keeping of anything 
leavened or fermented (hamec) is strictly prohibited,’ hence the Pass- 
over is also called the “ feast of unleavened bread.” ¢ On the evening 
preceding Passover the ceremony of “ searching for leaven” (bedi- 
gath hameg) takes place. The head of the house, furnished with a 
wax taper, a wooden spoon, and a feather brush, goes over the whole 
house and gathers all suspicious crumbs into the spoon. These are 
burned on the morning of the 14th of Nisan in the courtyard (67 ur 
hame¢), both ceremonies being accompanied by benedictions. In 
the evening the feast begins with a service in the synagogue. In the 
home the evening meal is of the nature of a commemoration service, 
called seder—order, arrangement, or programme. At the head of 
the table are cushioned chairs or lounges for the master and mistress 
of the house to recline on, as was done and is still customary in the 
Orient among the high and freeborn. On the table are the articles 
emblematic of the events commemorated. These are: Three maccoth, 
or cakes of unleavened bread, baked in the shape of large, thin, round 
@Compare Exodus xxiii, 14-17; xxxiv, 23; Deuteronomy xvi, 16. 
’ Compare Exodus xii, 2; Leviticus xxiii, 5; Numbers xxviii, 16. 
€ Compare Deuteronomy xvi, 2. 
@ Compare Exodus xxii, 19; xxiii, 7; Deuteronomy xvi, 5 and 4. 
€ Hxodus xxiii, 15, 
