| |
The Feast
of Tabernacles in Bible Times
| Speak to the children
of Israel, saying, "On the fifteenth
day of this seventh month is the festival
of Sukkos, a seven-day period for HaShem.
The first day shall be a sacred holiday
when you may not do any work. ...The eighth
day is a sacred holiday to you... it is
an atzeres, you may not do any work. ...
On the first day you
must take for yourself a fruit of the citron
tree, an unopened palm frond, myrtle branches,
and brook willows, and you shall rejoice
before HaShem for seven days. ...
You shall dwell in sukkos
for seven days.... So that your future generations
shall know that I had the children of Israel
live in sukkos when I brought them out of
Egypt.. |
| (Leviticus) 23:34-43 |
As The Feast of Tabernacles
approached, the entire Jewish nation started making
preparations. Work crews were sent to repair roads
and bridges for the thousands of pilgrims coming
to Jerusalem. During the festival many Jews eat
(and sleep, as well) in the booths or huts, which
are built in the five days between Yom Kippur
and this festival.
The Feast of Tabernacles is by
far the most festive and joyous of occasions.
History records that four huge candelabra were
constructed, lighted, and attended by young men
ascending ladders periodically with pitchers of
oil to keep them burning. The light from these
lamps illuminated the whole city, and around them
danced distinguished men with torches in their
hands, singing hymns and songs of praise. The
dancing as well as the music continued until daybreak.
It was an extravaganza (Somerville 1995).
The holiday was celebrated following
the outline in Leviticus:
- They lived in booths made
of boughs of trees and branches of palm trees
for the seven days of the feast (Lev. 23:42).
- They rested from all regular
work on the first and eighth days.
- The Priest offered sacrifices
on the seven days, beginning with thirteen bullocks
and other animals on the first day and diminishing
by one bullock each day until, on the seventh,
seven bullocks were offered.
- On the eighth day there was
a solemn assembly when one bullock, one ram,
and seven lambs were offered (Num. 29:36). The
sacrifices offered during this time amounted
to 189 animals.
- Men carried the cluster of
branches to the synagogue to wave as they rejoiced
before the Lord, as commanded by the Lord (Lev.
23:40).
Water was also an important part
of the Feast of Tabernacles. Before the festival,
the Rabbis taught on every passage in Scripture
dealing with water. In Old Testament Biblical
times, gold pitchers of water were brought from
the pool of Siloam to the temple. The Priest would
pour out the water over the altar to signify Israel’s
gratitude for the rain that had produced the harvest,
and would pray for rain in the next year. The
priest would recite Isaiah 12:1-3. And in that
day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee:
though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is
turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold,
God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be
afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and
my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore
with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells
of salvation. This special libation was performed
only during the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles.
This was done not only to remind God of the need
for abundant rain during the winter season, but
also to remind the people of the coming Messiah
who had promised to pour out His Holy Spirit on
the people.
| This ceremony lasted seven
days. The last day was called Hosha’na
Rabba, meaning the Day of the Great Hosanna.
As the celebration continued, the priests
blew the trumpets and waved the branches and
the people sang the Great Hallel |
| (Psalms 113
through 118). |
Read More About the Feast of
Tabernacles
Overview
| Bible
Times | Jewish
Customs | Messiah
in Taberncles | Birth
of Christ |
| Celebrating
Tabernacles | Sukkah
Craft
|
|
