RE: Is Easter based on a pagan tradition?
April 14, 2013 at 1:34 am
(This post was last modified: April 14, 2013 at 2:34 am by A_Nony_Mouse.)
(April 12, 2013 at 2:01 pm)thesummerqueen Wrote:(April 11, 2013 at 10:42 pm)A_Nony_Mouse Wrote: Passover (with variations of pascal in Romance languages) is an interesting case. As we know Moses and get out of Egypt are myths. What was Passover before the Moses myth was invented? Of was the celebration invented along with the myth?
Passover IS the myth.
Of course the Passover of Exodus is a myth. That went out with the all of Exodus. But we know Jews have been celebrating it since the 1st c. BC. I was speculating on whether the celebration came after the invention of the Exodus story or, like Christmas, was adapted from some prior custom to fit the new mythology of Exodus. There is a mention of some celebration in the Amarna letters that has been translated as Passover. I have yet to confirm it is really that name or a pious and false translation. However in the letter there is no description of it and a Persian leader is asked when to celebrate it so it does not appear even close to Passover.
Quote: The two are inextricably intertwined. During the Seder, the story of the Exodus is read from the Haggadah, along with prayers and descriptions of ritual movements, such as hand washing, wine drinking, breaking matzos, etc.
Passover contains things, like eggs and herbs, which most certainly came down from prior polytheistic celebrations, but the feast of Passover itself had no (as far as I know - Min, come in and correct me if I'm wrong) prior incarnation as a 'spring festival'. There is no dying or resurrection or celebration of sowing or anything within it. We have other holidays that celebrate such, like Sukkot for the harvest. This one was created as far as I know to celebrate a fictitious exodus.
[shudders]
It's really strange - I was going to include more information about Passover, but lately memories of the prayers and rituals in holidays and certain instances have been filtering through despite not having been to temple in ages and the sensory memory is disturbing me...so I won't dig further.
So you are in the camp that the celebration of Passover was invented after the myth of Exodus was invented. That would also put you in the pious, false translation camp for the Amarna mention. I would not off hand disagree with you but I have not found physical evidence to support it.
BTW: Spring festival would be Vernal Equinox festival. It would be very surprising if Judea were the exception in not have such a celebration.
