Bede's Ecclesiastical History of EnglandBede, the Venerable, Saint
History
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
Bede, the Venerable, Saint
England -- Church history -- 449-1066
“Thus he calls that the first day of unleavened bread, in which he was to
bring their army out of Egypt. Now it is evident, that they were not
brought out of Egypt on the fourteenth day, in the evening whereof the
lamb was killed, and which is properly called the Passover or Phase, but
on the fifteenth day, as is most plainly written in the book of
Numbers:(958) ‘and they departed from Rameses on the fifteenth day of the
first month, on the morrow after the Passover the Israelites went out with
an high hand.’ Thus the seven days of unleavened bread, on the first
whereof the people of the Lord were brought out of Egypt, are to be
reckoned from the beginning of the third week, as has been said, that is,
from the fifteenth day of the first month, till the end of the
one-and-twentieth of the same month. But the fourteenth day is named apart
from this number, by the title of the Passover, as is plainly shown by
that which follows in Exodus:(959) where, after it is said, ‘For in this
self-same day I will bring your army out of the land of Egypt;’ it is
forthwith added, ‘And ye shall observe this day in your generations by an
ordinance for ever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the
month, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one-and-twentieth day of
the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your
houses.’ Now, who is there that does not perceive, that there are not only
seven days, but rather eight, from the fourteenth to the
one-and-twentieth, if the fourteenth be also reckoned in the number? But
if, as appears by diligent study of the truth of the Scriptures, we reckon
from the evening of the fourteenth day to the evening of the
one-and-twentieth, we shall certainly find, that, while the Paschal feast
begins on the evening of the fourteenth day, yet the whole sacred
solemnity contains no more than only seven nights and as many days.
Wherefore the rule which we laid down is proved to be true, when we said
that the Paschal season is to be celebrated in the first month of the
year, and the third week of the same. For it is in truth the third week,
because it begins on the evening of the fourteenth day, and ends on the
evening of the one-and-twentieth.
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