Festivals, Religious: There were daily
(Leviticus 23:1)ff weekly, monthly, and yearly festivals,
and great stress was laid on the regular observance of them in every
particular
(Numbers 28:1-8; Exodus 29:38-42; Leviticus 6:8-23; Exodus 30:7-9; 27:20)1. The septenary festivals were,
a. The weekly Sabbath
(Leviticus 23:1-3; Exodus 20:8-11; 31:12) etc.
b. The seventh new moon, or the feast of Trumpets
(Numbers 28:11-15; 29:1-6)
c. The Sabbatical year
(Exodus 23:10,11; Leviticus 25:2-7)
d. The year of jubilee
(Leviticus 25:8-16; 27:16-25)
2. The great feasts were,
a. The Passover.
b. The feast of Pentecost, or of weeks.
c. The feast of Tabernacles, or of ingathering.
On each of these occasions every male Israelite was commanded "to
appear before the Lord"
(Exodus 34:23; Nehemiah 8:9-12) The attendance of
women was voluntary. Comp.
(Luke 2:41; 1 Samuel 1:7; 2:19) The promise
that God would protect their homes while all the males were
absent in Jerusalem at these feasts was always fulfilled.
(Deuteronomy 27:7; Exodus 34:24) "During the whole period between Moses and
Christ we never read of an enemy invading the land at the time of
the three festivals. The first instance on record is
thirty-three years after they had withdrawn from themselves the
divine protection by imbruing their hands in the Saviour's blood,
when Cestius, the Roman general, slew fifty of the people of
Lydda while all the rest had gone up to the feast of Tabernacles,
A.D. 66 These festivals, besides their religious purpose, had an
important bearing on the maintenance among the people of the
feeling of a national unity. The times fixed for their
observance were arranged so as to interfere as little as possible
with the industry of the people. The Passover was kept just
before the harvest commenced, Pentecost at the conclusion of the
corn harvest and before the vintage, the feast of Tabernacles
after all the fruits of the ground had been gathered in.
3. The Day of Atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month
(Leviticus 16:1,34; 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7-11)
(See ATONEMENT, DAY OF)
4. Of the post-Exilian festivals reference is made to:
a. the feast of Dedication
(John 10:22) This feast was
appointed by Judas Maccabaeus in commemoration of the
purification of the temple after it had been polluted by
Antiochus Epiphanes.
b. The "feast of Purim" (q.v.),
(Esther 9:24-32) was also
instituted after the Exile. (Cf.)
(John 5:1)
(See FEAST)
