the First Week of Advent
Click here to learn more!
Bible Encyclopedias
Feasts, and Fasts
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
The Nature of the Hebrew Festivals
I. Pre-Exilic
1. Observances Common to All
2. Significance of the Festivals
II. Post-Exilic
Significance
The Nature of the Hebrew Festivals
The Hebrews had an abundance of holidays, some based, according to their tradition, on agriculture and the natural changes of times and seasons, some on historical events connected with the national or religious life of Israel, and still others simply on immemorial custom. in most instances two or more of these bases coexist, and the emphasis on the natural, the agricultural, the national, or the religious phase will vary with different writers, different context, or different times. Any classification of these feasts and fasts on the basis of original significance must therefore be imperfect.
We should rather classify them as preëxilic and post-exilic, because the period of the Babylonian captivity marks a complete change, not only in the kinds of festivals instituted from time to time, but also in the manner of celebrating the old.
I. Pre-Exilic
The pre-exilic list includes the three pilgrimage festivals, the Passover week, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, together with the Eighth Day of Assembly at the conclusion of the last of these feasts, and New Year and Atonement Days, the weekly Sabbath and the New Moon.
1. Observances Common to All
The preëxilic festivals were "holy convocations" (Lev 23; Nu 28). Special sacrifices were offered on them in addition to the daily offerings. These sacrifices, however, varied according to the character of the festival (Nu 28; 29). On all of them trumpets (
2. Significance of the Festivals
The three pilgrimage festivals were known by that name because on them the Israelites gathered at Jerusalem to give thanks for their doubly joyful character. They were of agricultural significance as well as commemorative of national events. Thus, the Passover is connected with the barley harvest; at the same time it is the
Pentecost has an agricultural phase as
The Feast of Tabernacles is at once the general harvest festival,
New Year (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6 ) and the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:1; Leviticus 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11 ) marked the turning of the year; primarily, perhaps, in the natural phenomena of Palestine, but also in the inner life of the nation and the individual. Hence, the religious significance of these days as days of judgment, penitence and forgiveness soon overshadowed any other significance they may have had. The temple ritual for these days, which is minutely described in the Old Testament and in the Talmud, was the most elaborate and impressive of the year. At the same time Atonement Day was socially an important day of rejoicing.
In addition to these annual festivals the pre-exilic Hebrews celebrated the Sabbath (Numbers 28:9 , Numbers 28:10; Leviticus 23:1-3 ) and the New Moon (Numbers 10:10; Numbers 28:11-15 ). By analogy to the weekly Sabbath, every seventh year was a Sabbath Year (Exodus 23:11; Leviticus 25:1-7; Deuteronomy 15:1 ), and every cycle of seven Sabbath years was closed with a Jubilee Year (Leviticus 25:8-18 ) somewhat after the analogy of the seven weeks counted before Pentecost.
For further details of all of these preëxilic festivals see the separate articles.
II. Post-Exilic
In post-exilic times important historical events were made the basis for the institution of new fasts and feasts. When the first temple was destroyed and the people were carried into captivity, "the sacrifice of the body and one's own fat and blood" were substituted for that of animals (see Talmud,
Significance
The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months are based on historical incidents connected with one or more national calamities. In several instances the rabbis have by close figuring been able to connect with the dates of the fasts as well as the feasts other important national events than those for which the days were primarily instituted. Not less than four incidents are connected with the fasts of the fourth month (17th of Tammuz): ( a ) on this day the Israelites made the golden calf; (b ) Moses broke the tables of law; (c ) The daily sacrifices ceased for want of cattle when the city was closely besieged prior to the destruction of Jerusalem; and (d ) on this day Jerusalem was stormed by Nebuchadnezzar. The fast of the fifth month (9th day of
Other fasts and feasts no doubt were instituted on similar occasions and received a local or temporary observance, for example, the Feast of Acra (1 Macc 13:50-52; compare 1:33), to celebrate the recapture of Acra ("the citadel") on the 23rd of
Several other festivals are mentioned in the Talmud and other post-Biblical writings which may have been of even greater antiquity. The Feast of Woodcarrying (Midsummer Day: Nehemiah 10:34; Josephus, BJ , II, vii, 6;
In post-Biblical times the Jews outside of Palestine doubled each of the following days: the opening and closing day of Passover and Tabernacles and Pentecost, because of the
Many new modes of observance appear in post-exilic times in connection with the old established festivals, especially in the high festival season of
The last day of Tabernacles was known in Talmudic times as
In general it may be said that although the actual observance has changed from time to time to meet new conditions, the synagogal calendar of today is made up of the same festivals as those observed in New Testament times.
These files are public domain and were generously provided by the folks at WordSearch Software.
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Feasts, and Fasts'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​isb/​f/feasts-and-fasts.html. 1915.