I Can Prove that a Thirty Day 'Redemption' Period Preceded Easter/Passover in Antiquity

I can't believe that I didn't think of this before - and I am Jewish! The rabbinic authorities have always connected Purim (the 14th of Adar) with Pesach (the 14th of Nisan). They call it 'redemption' to 'redemption.' With a little research I am sure that I can find rabbinic authorities identifying the thirty day period before Passover as 'the redemption.'

Moreover the writings of Alexander and Athanasius are filled with attacks against the 'Origenist' tradition that preceded them (Arianism) as following 'Jewish interpretations' of Passover. I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to argue that the pre-Nicaean Lental festival was modeled on the Jewish concept of a thirty day redemption.

The symbolism is obvious.

It is quite easy to 'stretch the counting' as it were to 16th of Nisan (the original Easter Sunday). For one certain Jewish groups celebrated Purim on the 15th of Adar instead of the 14th. There is also the question of whether the Passion was celebrated in a leap year when a thirteenth month was added (Adar II). So important was it to keep the 'redemption' to 'redemption' motif happening that the authorities moved Purim to Adar II.

Adar II has twenty nine days.

In any event I think I have taken a major step forward. Even if Christian sources are deliberately silent about the 'redemption' ritual I think we can circumvent the efforts of the Orthodox by acknowledging that the pre-Nicaean Alexandrian tradition of 'the Origenists' might well have been overtly 'Jewish' - i.e. that they counted a thirty one day 'redemption' festival as preceding Passover.

All it requires is a little more research but I really think I am on to something great here! In the meantime regular readers of my post can read this to confirm that I am not making all of this up ...