When was the Passover seder first celebrated?
I will share with you the results of my research and discussions with a university historian as well as rabbi. Uncharacteristically for me, I won’t provide citations, since the references I was using are 1.5-hr drive away from my home and I don’t remember the authors; and I want to respect the privacy of the 2 individuals I consulted. So, don’t take this as 100% proof. Use my findings directionally. A “Passover meal” dates back a long time. Presumably, the first Passover meal was held in the Wilderness, if you believe in the exodus from Egypt. But, the traditional seder as we know it today has its origins much later. I believe the current seder tradition stems heavily from 2 periods: • Late 1st/2nd/3rd Centuries CE/AD, and • Medieval times I am estimating that the rabbis in Yavne, after the Sanhedrin was moved there post-destruction of the (2nd) Temple in 70 CE/AD, developed the foundation for the Seder. The Seder, or order, has been further refined over the years, notably during the m
