Let’s Get this (Leavened) Bread!

I promise the kneading is important for context.

Leaven, a substance used to lighten or soften a baked good, comes up throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, eating unleavened bread signaled the coming of the first Passover. If you need context, the tenth, and final plague would come: the death of the firstborn. However, Israelites (and slaves and certain foreign residents who have been circumcised) would be exempted due to the institution of this rite. Other passages in the Bible feature leaven as both a positive and a negative symbol, but this passage comes to mind when one thinks of the Bible and leaven.

Keep in mind that the absence of leaven in this bread is connected to the manner that these things were eaten. This first Passover was not celebrated as it is today with haroset (a sweet fruit and nut mixture), Geflite fish, and chopped liver. The first Passover was eaten “in haste” as Deuteronomy 12:11 puts it, with the partakers dressed as if they were ready to go somewhere. Since bread needs time to rise, unleavened bread better ties in with the symbolism of preparation and anticipation. As this was the last plague, the Israelites needed to prepare to leave slavery in Egypt and enter a better future.

The Biblical definition of the word “leaven” is seor, a lump of dough left to ferment in the open air to attract wild yeasts. Since the ancient Israelites did not have access to microscopy, they could…