In Regards to the timing of the Pascal - Last Supper Event (continued);
“ In attempting an accurate chronology of these days (Pesach) it must always be remembered that the Passover was sacrificed between the evenings of the 14th and the 15th of Nisan ; that is, before the close of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th. The Paschal Supper, however took place on the 15th itself (that is according to Jewish reckoning – the day beginning as the first stars became visible).” [End Quote]
The Temple, Its Ministry and Services as they were At The Time Of Jesus Christ. (1874)
Chapter XI ‘The Passover, Rev. Dr. Alfred Edersheim
Many believers identify that ‘Christ our Passover’ and the ‘Lamb of God’ pertains directly to a crucifixion event occurring at a time when the Passover lambs were being slain. Many have linked the timing for Jesus crucifixion to the public sacrifice on the Passover late afternoon of Nisan 14th. It is not then any wonder then why Jesus last Passover supper occurring later on the first day of unleavened gets totally misconstrued. To them who think it essential that He be crucified while lambs were being slain consider that such activities were carried forward on a daily basis by the temple priests for each and every day of the Passover period.
Numbers 28: 16-25
3 And thou shalt say unto them, this is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering.
4 The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;
16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the LORD.
17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
18 In the first day shall be a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:
19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish:
20 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram;
21 A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
22 And one goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you.
23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.
24 After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
25 And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation ye shall do no servile work.
KJV
We can see from Numbers 28:24 that a daily sacrifice of lambs were offered by temple priests on the whole seven days of the Passover period. Each day two young bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year, and one goat were sacrificed along with the daily sacrifice of two young lambs for the morning and the evening ritual. These sacrifices were inclusive for the full seven day duration of the Passover period.
* Note – These 3 verses from Mark 15 (crucifixion day) must apply to a secular day where travelling ,work, and purchasing were acceptable;
21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. KJV
42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, KJV
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. KJV
Such activities occurring on a Friday Nisan 15th (High Sabbath) would be next to impossible. However, these activities occurring on a Wednesday Nissan 20th (secular day) are quite probable.
[Genesis 1:3-5] 3 And God said, Let there be light (OWR): and there was light (OWR). 4 And God saw the light (OWR), that it was good: and God divided the light (OWR) from the darkness (CHOSHEK). 5 And God called the light (OWR) Day (YOWM), and the darkness (CHOSHEK) he called Night (LAYIL). And the evening and the morning were the first day (YOWM). God divided light (OWR) from darkness (CHOSHEK). The light (OWR) was called day (YOWM). The darkness (CHOSHEK) was called night (LAYIL).
You've touched on something here that is not too clear to some folks and I would like to offer my thoughts. "Beyn ha Arbayim".....Between the evenings. As you can see by the above scripture evening and morning are part of the day (YOWM); verse 5. Evening is not part of the night.....at least to Moses and the Hebrews it wasn't. Of course to us in the 21st century evening is now part of the night as it was also part of the night time to the King James translators.
"Beyn ha Arbayim". This was the term used to designate when the Passover was to be killed. Here are the Biblical definitions for the Hebrew.
Beyn: (sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from 'biyn' ; a distinction; but used only as a prep, between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...or:--among, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), + from (the widest), X in, out of, whether (it be...or), within. ha: simply means "the". Arbayim: from '`arab' ; dusk:--+ day, even(-ing, tide), night.
Between the Evenings/Beyn ha Arbayim. Arbayim is a dual word designated by the "ayim" on the tail end and means more than one. Ereb is the singular and the first time this word appears in scripture is [Genesis 1:5] "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening (singular) and the morning were the first day." As discussed earlier.....evening and morning were part of the daylight portion of the daily cycle. Morning was from sunrise to high noon and noon itself was the first evening. The second evening was sunset but the entire time from noon to sunset was called "Evening".....or as the KJV translators said...."Even".. The reason God started the daily cycle with darkness was because that's what appeared first.....darkness (verse 2).
Morning refers to the part of the day when the light is growing and evening refers to the part of the day when the light is receding. So, God designates a complete day as, from sunrise to sunset. Day and night together form the 24 hour period we now (also the KJV translators) call a completed day.
1. King James [Exodus 12:6] "And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." (Translators using the singular here have caused much confusion).
2. Young's Literal Translation [Exodus 12:6] "'And it hath become a charge to you, until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole assembly of the company of Israel have slaughtered it between the evenings;" (Between noon and sunset)
3. Hebrew Tanakh [Exodus 12:6] " wəhāyâ lāḵem ləmišəmereṯ ‘aḏ ’arəbā‘â ‘āśār ywōm l^a ḥōḏeš hazzeh wəšāḥăṭû ’ōṯwō kōl qəhal ‘ăḏaṯ-yiśərā’ēl bên hā‘arəbāyim:"
Above is the Hebrew....of course, expressed in English script to see and understand.
Young's is a good translation in that they faithfully attempt to translate literally. Sometimes because of syntax and idioms it is difficult to understand but they really do make an honest attempt.....as you can see.
Let's go ahead and list the other scriptures in which you find "Beyn ha Arbayim.....Between the Evenings".
[Exodus 16:12] "I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel; speak unto them, saying, Between the evenings ye eat flesh, and in the morning ye are satisfied with bread, and ye have known that I am Jehovah your God."
[Exodus 29:39] "the one lamb thou dost prepare in the morning, and the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings;
"[Exodus 29:41] " And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; according to the present of the morning, and according to its libation, thou dost prepare for it, for sweet fragrance, a fire-offering, to Jehovah:"
[Exodus 30:8] "and in Aaron's causing the lamps to go up between the evenings, he doth perfume it; a continual perfume before Jehovah to your generations."
[Leviticus 23:5] "in the first month, on the fourteenth of the month, between the evenings, is the passover to Jehovah;"
[Numbers 9:3] "in the fourteenth day of this month between the evenings ye prepare it in its appointed season; according to all its statutes, and according to all its ordinances ye prepare it."
[Numbers 9:5] "and they prepare the passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that Jehovah hath commanded Moses, so have the sons of Israel done."
[Numbers 9:11] "in the second month, on the fourteenth day, between the evenings they prepare it; with unleavened and bitter things they eat it;"
[Numbers 28:4] "the one lamb thou preparest in the morning, and the second lamb thou preparest between the evenings;
[Numbers 28:8] "'And the second lamb thou dost prepare between the evenings; as the present of the morning, and as its libation thou preparest -- a fire-offering, a sweet fragrance to Jehovah."
Now.....between the evenings would be at 3:00 P.M. or thereabouts. This was when the evening sacrifice took place and most folks think nowadays that means it occurred at night time. Here are some scriptures that will indicate when the "Evening" sacrifice actually happened: [Acts 3:1][Acts 10:3][Acts 10:30]. Here are scriptures that show when Our Lord's sacrifice took place: Matthew 27:45-46][Mark 15:33-34][Luke 23:44]. The Hebrews began counting their hours at sunrise....so the ninth hour would be 3:00 P.M.
The proof verse that explains what evening really means is [Deuteronomy 16:6] " But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt."
At the first evening (High Noon) the sun is directly overhead. As it progresses to the second evening (Sunset) what does the sun do? It begins to go down, gets lower in the sky....and finally about six hours later it sets.....goes below the horizon. Do you see how we need to know how the Hebrews thought about things before we can understand thoroughly what the scriptures are really saying?
As you read the New Testament and reflect on the crucifixion you'll now know why Our Lord had to die......between the evenings........3:00 P.M. on the 14th of the first month [Leviticus 23:5].