Feast of tabernacles in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

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What is the Feast of Tabernacles?
FEAST OF TAB'ERNACLES
one of the three greatest Jewish feasts. The law for it is laid down in Lev 23:34-43, Num 29:12-40. It was designed to commemorate the long tent-life of the Israelites during the Wandering. The feast began on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and lasted eight days - seven for the feast and one day for a "solemn assembly," a sabbath of rest. In Num 29:12-39 the proper sacrifices for each day are given. During the whole time, the people dwelt in booths. Like the other feasts, the place for keeping this one was Jerusalem. The city must have presented a very animated and picturesque appearance. The booths were erected on the tops of houses, in the courts of the temple, and in the streets and on the neighboring hills. There was also much innocent mirth; indeed, it was distinguished for this. It was commanded to rejoice before the Lord. On the first and last days there was a holy convocation. Deut 31:10-13 enjoins the reading of the Law to the whole people every seventh or sabbatical year at the feast of tabernacles. This regulation, as interpreted by later Jewish practice, is obeyed by reading, on the first day of the feast, certain portions of Deuteronomy. In Ex 23:16 this feast is called "the feast of ingathering," because it came at the end of the harvest, 15th to 22d Tisri - September-October. References to the observance of the feast are found in the O.T. in Neh 8:13-18; Hos 12:9; Zech 14:16-19, and in the N.T. in John 7:2, John 7:37-38. In the latter passage our Lord is by some supposed to refer to a daily custom at the feast, adopted in later times. The Israelites, dressed in holiday clothes, repaired to the temple at the time of morning sacrifice. A priest then took a golden ewer, holding about two pints and a half, went to the pool of Siloam, filled his ewer, and returned to the temple by the Water-gate. His approach was the signal for a blast of trumpets. Before the people he ascended the steps of the altar, and poured the water into that one of the two silver basins which was on the eastern side. Into the other wine was poured. There were small openings in the bottoms of each, and so the two streams flowed, mingled together, through pipes, into the Kidron. But on the eighth day this ceremony was omitted. Hence our Lord on that day offers himself to the people as the Source of living waters. Again, in John 8:12, some see an allusion to another post-biblical ceremony in this preeminently popular feast; viz. to the torch-feast - i.e., the lighting of the great golden candelabras in the court of the women on the evening of the first day of the feast. Before them the men performed a torchlight dance with music and singing.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'feast of tabernacles' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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