The Passover festival originated on the eve of Israel's release from Egypt. On the night of the tenth and final plague, the Israelites ate a meal with unusual significance. They were instructed by God to sacrifice a year-old male lamb that was without defect. The meat was roasted and eaten, along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. The blood of that animal was smeared on the sides and tops of the threshold of their homes. When God passed through the land of Egypt to strike down the firstborn, he saw the blood and passed over that house, protecting that home from the plague (Cf. Ex. 12). The Passover feast became one of the three major festivals of the year (Deut. 16:16).
