kind, until some other two terms in it are proved to be strictly correspondent. See SsASOir.
8. Fettioak and Holy iXiys.— Besides the Sabbaths and new-moons, there were four great fostival^ and a fSut in the ancient Hebrew year, and a great celebra- tion every seventh and fiftieth year. See Festivai.
(1.) The Feast of the Passover (HDO) was properly only the time of the sacrifice and eating of the paschal lamb, that is, the evening, D^a^^n 'j'^a, "between the two evenings** (Lev. xxiii, 5)--a phrase previous- ly considered— of the 14th day of the first month, and the night following, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (niS^n ^1^ commencing on the morning of the 15th day of the month, and lasting seven days, until the 2l8t inclusive. The 15th and 21st days of the month were Sabbaths, that is, holy days. See Passovkb.
(2.) The Feast of Weeks (nij^lO yn\ or Pentecoet, was kept at the close of seven weeks, counted from the day inclusive following the 16th of the 1st month. Hence its name means the foast of seven weeks, as in- deed it is called in Toblt (Jkyla imd tl5Sofid6wVy ii, 1). As the ears of barley as first-fruits of the harvest were offered on the 16th day of the 1st month, so on this day thanksgiving was paid for the blessing of the har- vest, and first-fruits of wheat offered as well as of fruits ; hence the names ^*^^n ^ill, Feast of the Har- vest, and D'f'I'IS^D &^% ^^7 o^ ^'« Fiist-fruits. See Pentbcost.
(a) The Feast of Trumpets, m^'lt} oi'»(Ut<iayo/' trumpet^NouQ, also called nr^l'iri 'ji'nst I'lnai^, I e. "a great fostival of celebration by the sound of the trumpet," was the Ist day of the 7th month, the civil commencement of the year. See Trumpet.
(4.) The Day of Atonement, Q*i'?^sn di*i, was the 10th day of the 7th month. It was a Sabbath, that is, a holy day, and also a fiist, the only one in the Hebrew year before the Babylonish Captivity. Upon this day the high-priest made an offsring of atonement for the nation. This annual solemn rite seems more appro- priate to the commencement than to the middle of the year; and the time of its celebration thus affords some evidence in favor of the theory of a double beginning. See Atonebuciit (Day of).
(5.) The Feast of Tabernacles, niSDil yn, was kept in the 7th month, from the 15th to the 22d days indup sive. Its chief days were the first and last, which were Sabbaths. Its name was taken fh>m the people dwell- ing in tabernacles, to commemorate the Exodus. It was otherwise called tf^^^tj ItH, i. e. "the feast of gathering," because it was also instituted as a time of thanksgiving for the end of the gathering of fruit and of the vintage. See TABXBifACLKS (Fbast of).
The sroisll number and simplicity of these primitive Hebrew festivals and holy days is especially worthy of note. It is also observable that they are not of an as- tronomical character ; and that when they are connect- ed with nature, it is as directing the gratitude of the people to him who^ in giving good things, leaves not himself without witness. In later times many holy days were added. Of these the most worthy of remark are the Feast of Purim, or " Lot^,** commemorating the deliverance of the Jews fhmi Haman*s plot, the Feast of the Dedication, recording the cleansing and re-ded- ication of the Temple by Judas Maccahsus, and fasts on the anniversaries of great national misfortunes con- nected with the Babylonish Captivity. These last were doubtless instituted during that period (comp. Zech. vii, 1-6). See Purim ; Dbdicatioic.
(6.) SabbcUiccU and Jubilee Fsart.^ The sabbatical year, haiaisn na^, "the fallow year,** or possibly "year of remission,*' or HttTa^ alone, also called a " sabbath,** and a " great sabbath,** was an institution of strictly the same character as the Sabbath— a year
CHRONOLOGY
296
CHRONOLOGY