tabernacles in every one of our houses, so that we preserve
ourselves from the cold of that time of the year; as also that
when we should arrive at our own country, and come to that city
which we should have then for our metropolis, because of the
temple therein to be built, and keep a festival for eight days,
and offer burnt-offerings, and sacrifice thank-offerings, that we
should then carry in our hands a branch of myrtle, and willow,
and a bough of the palm-tree, with the addition of the pome
citron: That the burnt-offering on the first of those days was to
be a sacrifice of thirteen bulls, and fourteen lambs, and fifteen
rams, with the addition of a kid of the goats, as an expiation
for sins; and on the following days the same number of lambs, and
of rams, with the kids of the goats; but abating one of the bulls
every day till they amounted to seven only. On the eighth day all
work was laid aside, and then, as we said before, they sacrificed
to God a bullock, a ram, and seven lambs, with a kid of the
goats, for an expiation of sins. And this is the accustomed
solemnity of the Hebrews, when they pitch their tabernacles.

5. In the month of Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is
the beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar
month, when the sun is in Aries, (for in this month it was that
we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians,) the law
ordained that we should every year slay that sacrifice which I
before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was
called the Passover; and so we do celebrate this passover in
companies, leaving nothing of what we sacrifice till the day
following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the
passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the month, and
continues seven days, wherein they feed on unleavened bread; on