Imagine the scene. Israelites crammed into small homes, blood on the doorposts. Outside, chaos descends in the night as the tenth plague hits hard, killing the firstborn of all not protected by the blood. Inside, families eat fast - roasted lamb, matzah, and something that bites back: bitter herbs. Why add the sting of bitterness just before deliverance? Their lives under Pharaoh were bitter. Crushed with slave labor, babies drowned, hope beaten down. Exodus 1:14 uses tha

Part one of this article was written some time ago. Since that time I received many rebukes and requests for more supporting evidence that the High Priest did not wear a rope around his ankle, foot, or waist when entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur or during the discharge of his duties in the Holy Place at other times. For some readers, their concern is I questioned the validity of the New International Version of the Bible (NIV). In general, I try not to rely on the ac