Had the unique experience to attend the Passover Priestly Blessing at the Western Wall on Monday. Tens of thousands of people attend this event every year. (Last year 80,000)
Definitely helped understand what the passover crowds would have been around Temple Mount in Christ’s day.
However, Josephus writes that 3 million attended in the first century. Every year the Cohenim raise their hands within their prayer shawls and bless the masses. The Cohens are descended from the biblical figure of Aaron and the Israelite tribe of Levi.
The prayer that is heard is Aaron’s Prayer of Blessing in Numbers 6:22-27
Y’va-reh-ch’cha Adonai v’yeesh-m’reh-cha, Ya-air Adonai pa-nahv ay-leh-cha vee-choo-neh-ka, Yee-sa Adonai pa-nahv ay-leh-cha v’ya-same l’cha Shalom.
“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”