The sons of Aaron, Nadar and Avihu, are reported in Leviticus 10.1-2 to have died after they had “offered strange fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them”. This occurred in the presence of all the people “on the eighth day” – the day after the seven days of consecration of the priests. A mythologiser would have been unlikely to concoct such a tragedy striking down no lesser personages than those of Aaron’s own sons.