Introduction to The Hebraic biography of Y'shua

after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs‖. (Num 18:16). If this day falls on Shabbat or a Yom
Tov (Holy Day), the ceremony is postponed until the first following weekday.

The ceremony is actually a simple one. The father presents the firstborn to one of the Kohens (descendants
in the priestly line) who asks the father whether he would rather give the son away or redeem him. The father
chooses to redeem the boy and, with the equivalent of five silver shekels in his hand, says:

"Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the universe who has sanctified us with His commandments and
commanded us concerning the redemption of the first-born son‖.

The money is handed over to the Kohen who passes it over the boy's head saying, "This is in place of this..."
and then says the priestly blessing over the child. The ceremony ends with a blessing over a cup of wine.
In conclusion, the first male child has special significance for both parents, and this was as true in biblical
times as today. A mother's first-born boy was consecrated to divine service, and a father gave his first-born
son a double portion of his possessions as his birthright inheritance.

With that as the background, let‘s see how Y‘shua was ―pidyoned‖.

―(22) And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they
brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord‖. There are two activities mentioned in this verse:
Miriam‘s purification ceremony. The mother was reckoned ―unclean‖ after giving birth and needed to be
"purified‖.
The other is the ceremony Pidyon HaBen (Redemption of the Firstborn).

Miriam had to comply with the commandment of ―separation‖ (Positive Law 100 - Lev 12:2 - On Tumah of
a woman after childbirth), as well as to the time of her ―purification‖. For that, we need to study Lev 12 first.
(1) ―And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
(2) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a woman have conceived seed, and born a man-child:
then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she
be unclean.
(3) And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
(4) And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days (33 days); she
shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled.
(6) And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a
lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest:
(7) Who (the priest) shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be
cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
(8) And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons;
the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement
for her, and she shall be clean‖.

From Lev 12 and the verses in Luke 2, we can formalise the following table of events:

Day

Zero

Start of

Succoth

To the end

of Succoth

• Miriam
  7 days
  unclean,
  (including
  day of birth)

Day 8

On Simchat

Torah

• Y‘shua‘s
  Brit-milah
  (circumcision)

Miriam

continued in

her

purifying for

another

33 days

Day 40

Miriam brought a pair of

turtledoves, and two

young pigeons for the

burnt offering and a sin

offering to the priest

unto the door of the

Y‘shua in the Temple

end her purification

Later on day 40

Then after the

sacrifice (when

Miriam was pure)

they present Him to

YHWH

• Y‘shua‘s
  Pidyon HaBen
  (Redemption of the
  Firstborn).
  Y‘shua‘s
  birth

Miriam‘s 7

days of

separation –

not allowed

into Temple

Not

performed in

Temple but in

Bethlehem

Miriam not

allowed into

Temple

during this

period

Miriam still not allowed

into Temple until

sacrifice was completed

Miriam now allowed

into Temple

To summarise: Immediately after birth, a woman is considered niddah and must remain sexually separated
from her husband for a period of seven days after the birth of a male child and fourteen days after the birth of