Temple Mount activists offer NIS 20,000 for Paschal lamb sacrifice

The "Returning to the Mount" movement on Friday offered NIS 20,000 to anyone who is arrested trying to sacrifice a Paschal lamb on the Temple Mount for Passover.

כמו בכל שנה, גם השנה אנחנו מבטיחים פיצוי כספי לכל מי שיעצר בדרך להקרבת קרבן פסח!הקרבת - גאלת!נעצרת - ניצחת!רוצים קרבן פסח - עכשיו!#קרבן_פסח_תשפג pic.twitter.com/9Gv29rsZxx

— חוזרים להר (@CozrimLahar) March 31, 2023

The Paschal lamb, also known as the Passover offering or sacrifice, was a ritualistic slaughtering of a lamb for the Passover holiday that was traditionally carried out at the Temple every year.

Each year, Jews commemorate this sacrifice at the Passover Seder. 

However, it stopped being carried out after the destruction of the Second Temple.

In addition, the movement earlier offered payments to Arabs in the Old City of Jerusalem who were willing to store lambs that would be used for the Paschal sacrifice.

התחלנו להתארגן לפסח! הלילה הפצנו בעיר העתיקה וברשתות החברתיות מודעה בערבית בה אנו מציעים תשלום עבור אכסון גדי עבורנו. שווה לא?#קרבן_פסח_תשפג pic.twitter.com/vQB3gaFSsy

— חוזרים להר (@CozrimLahar) March 22, 2023

In late March, two activists were arrested for putting up Arabic notices in the Old City, reading: "Do you have a yard or extra room? Want to earn easy income on the side? A place is needed to store lambs in the Old City near the holy shrine (al-Aqsa Mosque)."

Going out on a lamb: Previous attempts at a Paschal lamb sacrifice on the Temple Mount

This isn't the first time Returning to the Mount activists have offered payment for anyone attempting to carry out the sacrifice on Passover.

Last year, they offered people NIS 10,000.

At the time, several people were arrested for either trying to or planning to sacrifice a Paschal lamb on the Temple Mount.

Tzvi Joffre contributed to this report.