Passover Pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Question

Hello,

Please could you confirm or clarify a detail of scholarship regarding likely (or perhaps historically certain) Jewish customs for the Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the era of the Third Temple?

It is clear that the pilgrimage would have taken several days in each direction for members of the tribes located at a greater distance from Jerusalem. The detail about this pilgrimage – which must have had something of the character of an annual mass migration – which I would like to clarify is this:

Is it likely, or even historically certain, that on both the outward and return journey to Jerusalem, two large and separate groups would have formed on each day of the journey: (a) the men, who would have walked faster, and arrived at the next night’s stopping point sooner, and so been able to prepare the evening arrangements for the slower group (b) consisting of women and children?

I have a second question related to this:

At that same historical period was there a clearly defined age at which boys were deemed to come of age, thus becoming eligible to classed as men, or would this have been a matter of discretion depending on individual circumstances?

In anticipation, thank you very much for your help

Sincerely

John Polycarp

0

Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    There is no source that I am familiar with that says that the men and the women travelled in separate groups and at different speeds.

    The age that a Jewish boy comes of age is thirteen. In Jewish Law turning thirteen is called a Bar Mitzvah. On turning thirteen a young man becomes obligated in keeping the Commandments and he can included in the count for a quorum of ten men for prayers.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team