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Jewish Feasts and Festivals

by | Jun 22, 2016 | Miscellaneous Topics, Christian Theology

jewish feasts and festivals

There are many Jewish feasts and festivals.  Following is a chart compiled from several resources that list them out:

 

 

 

JEWISH FEASTS AND FESTIVALS

NAME MONTH: DATE REFERENCE SIGNIFICANCE
Passover Nisan (Mar./Apr.): 14–21 Exod. 12:2–20; Lev 23:5 Commemorates God’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt.
Unleavened Bread Nisan (Mar./Apr.): 15–21 Lev. 23:6–8 Commemorates God’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt. Includes a Day of Firstfruits for the barley harvest.  For 7 days unleavened bread was eaten.
First Fruits
(Reshit Kitzir)
Nisan (Mar./Apr.) 22 Lev. 23:11 For acknowledging the fertility of the land that God gave the Israelites.
Pentecost
(Feast of Weeks, or Harvest)
Sivan (May/June): 6 (seven weeks after Passover) Exod. 23:16; 34:22; Lev 23:15–21 Commemorates the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. Includes a Day of Firstfruits for the wheat harvest.  Marked by offering of sacrifices.
Trumpets
(Rosh Hashanah)
Tishri (Sept./Oct.): 1 Lev, 23:23–25; Num. 29:1–6 Day of the blowing of the trumpets to signal the beginning of the civil new year.  Hard labor ceased during this time.
Day of Atonement
(Yom Kippur)
Tishri (Sept./Oct.): 10 Lev. 23:26–33; Exod. 30:10 On this day the high priest makes atonement for the nation’s sin. Also a day of fasting.  It is only observed once a year (Ex 30:10).
Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles (Sukkot) Tishri (Sept./Oct.): 15–21 Lev. 23:33–43; Num. 29:12–39; Deut. 16:13 Lasts seven days, commemorates the forty years of wilderness wandering where the people dwelt in booths made of branches and boughs of trees.  Jesus attended this feast (John 7:2-14).
Dedication
Festival of Lights (Hanukkah)
Kislev (Nov./Dec.): 25–30; and Tebeth (Dec/Jan.): 1–2 John 10:22 Commemorates the purification of the temple by Judas Maccabaeus in 164/167 B.C.  Lasted 8 days. Mentioned in John 10:22.
Purim Adar (Feb./Mar.): 14-15 Esther 9 Established by Mordecai, commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in the days of Esther.

This chart was compiled from the following sources.

  • Smith, Marsha A. Ellis, June Swann, Trent C. Butler, Christopher L. Church, and David S. Dockery. Holman Book of Biblical Charts, Maps, and Reconstructions. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993.
  • Wood, D. R. W., and I. Howard Marshall. New Bible Dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
  • Bromiley, Geoffrey W., ed. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988.
  • Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988.
  • http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Introduction/introduction.html

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