Which Hebrew term names the Passover sacrifice offered in Temple times?

Korban Pesach is the Hebrew term for the Passover sacrifice offered in Temple times. The Torah describes it as a male lamb or goat without blemish, selected before Passover, slaughtered on the afternoon of 14 Nisan, and eaten that night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The sacrifice commemorated the Israelites’ protection and liberation during the Exodus.

In the biblical period, the offering was first made in individual homes during the Exodus and later brought to the central sanctuary. During the Second Temple period, pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem, where the animals were slaughtered and prepared for communal household meals. The sacrifice was not simply a private meal; it was a regulated sacred offering tied to the Temple.

After the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed, Jews no longer perform the Korban Pesach in the traditional Temple setting. Modern Seders commonly include a roasted shank bone or another symbolic item on the Seder plate, but that symbol is not itself the ancient sacrifice. “Paschal lamb” and “Passover sacrifice” are English equivalents, while Korban Pesach is the Hebrew designation.