The Story of Passover

The Passover is an eight-day devotion that commemorates the exodus and freedom of the Israelites who are Jewish slaves from Egypt during the reign of the Pharaoh Ramses II. The holiday’s name is Pesach in Hebrew which means the ‘protection’ or ‘passing over.’ It was derived from the instructions that they claim was provisioned to Moses by God himself.

Moses needed to encourage the Pharaoh to free the Israelites, and God helped by intending to kill all the firstborn of both beast and man. The Israelites were told to mark their from doors with lamb’s blood to ward off the angel of death. Today, Passover is celebrated through family gatherings, delicious food, and a festive mood.

Passover’s Fun Facts

In Jewish history, it is the oldest celebrated festival. During the Passover holiday, Jewish people eat a flat, unleavened bread made of flour and water called the Matzos. It is an act of commemoration to their ancestors who had to eat their meal unleavened because they were in such a hurry to escape. The Coca-Cola bottling company in New York sells kosher Coke specifically for the Passover holiday. They use sugar instead of corn syrup for the product. On the day of the Passover, the youngest child has to ask four questions in which the answer should be “why this night is different from all other nights.”

Activities During Passover

Make A Floral Wreath For The Seder Materials: Several sheets of colored tissue paper Scissors Pipe cleaner Styrofoam or paper cup Markers or crayons Salt

Directions

Snip eight to twelve 5-inch tissue paper circles. Hold everything together and puncture a hole in the center. After inserting a pipe cleaner through the hole, twist a knot from the top of the pipe cleaner. The first tissue circle should be brought up towards the middle and around the pipe cleaner knot. You should slight crumple it so that it will stand up. Repeat as you arrange every petal. Using crayons or markers, decorate the paper cup before you fill it halfway with salt to have it stabilized. Place the pipe cleaner flowers against the salt to help them stand. Put everything in the center of the Seder table once finished.

The Wisdom Segment

I Xin Zhui, also known as the Lady of Dai, died more than 2,000 years ago and is considered the most well-preserved mummy in the world. Her internal organs, soft skin, flowing hair, type A blood, and flexible limbs have fascinated all of the modern scientists and archaeologists who have examined her.

II Deep in the Nevada desert, a 10,600-year-old mummy was discovered in 1940. Dubbed "the Spirit Cave Mummy," the man is said to be the oldest mummy to come to light in North America. His body was found cloaked in woven reed mats and a rabbit-skin blanket.

III Did you know that there are two distinct types of mummies? They are categorized according to which mummification process the body went through. A mummy can either be anthropogenic (deliberate mummification) or spontaneous (unintentional mummification, most often caused by natural, environmental factors).

IV Whenever Egypt comes to mind, we immediately think of mummies. However, it wasn't the Egyptians who began this process of preserving the dead. The Chinchorro people in South America were mummifying their dead as many as 2,000 years before the Egyptians. Another interesting fact to note is that they didn't discriminate who to mummify. They mummified all the dead, including babies and fetuses.

V Once a well-preserved mummy has been discovered, scientists clamor to have a chance at performing the autopsy. This operation gives them a unique look into what remains of the life lived by the ancient being. Surprisingly, though eons old, these people appear to have suffered from many common modern ailments. Conditions found in mummies included malnutrition, clogged arteries, heart disease, stomach ulcers, tuberculosis, and even sinusitis.

VI Sir John Franklin's 1845 Arctic expedition was a tragic event in history, but scientists discovered that the frozen bodies of the sailors were so well-preserved they were able to perform postmortem examinations. The results were astonishing: the sailors died of poisoning, most likely from lead. The canned goods used during the voyage were the suspected culprits in the poisoning. Heavy metal poisoning can lead to an eventual physical and mental decline.

The Wisdom Segment

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