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The Spring Holiday that celebrates the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt is commmonly translated as "Passover," a reminder that God "passed over" the homes of the Israelites as He brought the last of the Ten Plagues upon the Egyptians. So the Bible has always been read in the West. In this new and ground breaking study, Flashman first demonstrates that this was probably not the original meaning of the Holiday. Rather, the Biblical account is of Divine "Protection" of the Israelites from the plague. In a fascinating display of historical and lilnguistic scholarship, Flashman argues that the transition from "Protection" to "Passover" can be plausibly related to the destruction of the Second Temple. Flashman relates this tale of half a millenium with unique clarity and appeal for the nonspecialist. Finally, a discussion of the meaning of the Holiday for our time, and a previously untranslated text of Rabbi Kuk promise the reader a new and deepened appreciation for this most dramatic of Jewish festivals. As a bonus, it is argued that "Protection" and not "Passover" was the meaning of the "Last Supper" of the Gospels.

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Alan Flashman MD graduated from Columbia College wehere he studied Judaica and ancient history.He continued his research in Judaic studies while pursuing his medical speciality training. In Israel since 1983, his renewed researches in Hebrew and Greek sources led to the present original proposal regarding the origin and developemnt of "Passover."

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