lC)th-20th of Tishri. — These days were half-holydays; they were called the middle days of the festival (3"n T"T72 ~ fiinoi<ai]i; tTjc iopTi)c, John vii, 14), or the lesser festival ("|u3p T"1?3). Any articles of food or raiment
TABERNACLES, FEAST OF 148 TABERNACLES, FEAST OF
required for immediate use were allowed to be pur- chased privately during these days, and work demand- ed by the emergencies of the public service or required for the festival, the omission of which entailed loss or injury, was permitted to be done. See Passover.
On the night of the 15th, and on the five succeeding nights, the rejoicim/ of the drawiiu/ of water {TTl'C'C nnXVyUn n'^n) was celebrated in the court of the Tem- ple in the following manner: The people assembled in large masses in the court of the women at night after the expiration of the first day of the festival. The Viomen occupied the galleries, which were permanent lixtures in the court (iNIishna, Middoth, ii, 15), while the men occupied the space below. Four huge golden can- delabra were placed in the centre of the court; each of these candelabra had four golden basins and four lad- ders, on which stood four lads from the rising youths of the priests with jars of oil wherewith they fed the basins, while the cast-off garments of the priests were used as wicks. The lights of these candelabra illumi- nated the whole city. Around these lights pious and distinguished men danced before the people with light- ed flambeaux in their bands, singing hjmins and songs of praise; while'the Levites, who were stationed on the tifteen steps which led into the woman's court, and cor- responded to the tifteen psalms of degrees = steps (Psa. cxx-cxxxiv), accompanied the songs with harps, psal- teries, cymbals, and numberless musical instruments. The dancing, as well as the vocal and instrumental mu- sic, continued till daybreak. Some of these pious men performed dexterous movements with their flambeaux while dancing for the amusement of the people. Thus it is related that P. Simon II (A.D. 30-50), son of Ga- maliel I, the teacher of the apostle Paul [see Educa- tion], used to dance with eight torches in his hands, which he alternately threw up in the air and caught again without their touching each other or falling to the ground (Tosiphta Sukkah, c. iv; Jerusalem, Sitk- hah, V, 4 ; Babylon, ibid. 53 a). It is supposed that it was the splendid light of this grand illumination which suggested the remark of our Saviour — " I am the light of the world" (John viii, ]"2). Tow^ards the approach of day two priests stationed themselves, with trumpets in their hands, at the upper gate leading from the court of the Israelites to the court of the women, and awaited the announcement of daybreak by the crowing of the cock. As soon as the cock crew, they blew the trumpets three times and marched out tlie people of the Temple in such a manner that they had to descend the ten steps, where the two priests again blew the trumpets three times, and when they reached the lowest step in the outer court they for the third time blew the trum- pets three times. They continued to blow as they were marching across the court till they reached the eastern gate. Here they turned their faces westward towards the Temple and said, "Our fathers once turned their back to the sanctuary in this place, and their faces to the east, and worshipped the sun towards the east (corap. Ezek. viii, 15, 16); but we lift up our eyes to Jehovah." Thereupon they returned to the Temple, while the people who were thus marched out went to their respective booths. Some, however, formed them- selves into a procession, and went with the priests to the pool of Siloam to fetch the water; while others return- ed to the Temple, to be present at the morning sacrifice (Mishua, Siikkah, v, 2-4 ; Maimonides, lad Ha-Cliezaka, Hilchoth Sitkka/i, yi'ii, 12-15). The Talmud maintains that the ceremony of the drawing of water is anterior to the Babylonian captivity, and that Isa. xii, 3 refers to it {Siikkah, 48 b). Indeed, it is only on this suppo- sition that the imagery in Isa. xii, 3 obtains its full force and significance. As to the import of this cere- mony, ancient tradition furnishes two explanations of it. (1.) Since the Feast of Tabernacles was the time of the latter rain (Joel ii, 23), the drawing and pouring out of the water was regarded as svmbolical of the forthcom-
ing rain which it was ardently desired might be blessed to the peojile. Hence the remark tliat he wh<i will not come up to the Feast of Tabernacles shall have no rain {Siikkah, 4y, 51 ; Ji'o.oh ha-Shamth, Ki ; Taamih, 2 a). (2.) The Jews seem to have regarded the rite as symbol- ical of the water miraculously supplied to their fathers from the rock at iNIeribah. But they also gave to it a more strictly spiritual signification. It was regarded as typical of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Hence the remark : "It is called the house of drawing the wa- ter, because from thence the Holy Spirit is drawn in accordance with what is said in Isa. xii. 3, 'AVith joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation'" (Je- rusalem Svkkah, v, 1). It is upon this explanation that our Saviour's remark is based (John vii, 37-39) in allusion to this ceremony on this last day of the festival when it was performed for the last time. The two meanings are, of course, perfectly harmonious, as is sliown by the use which Paul makes of the historical fact (1 Cor. X, 4) — " they drank of that spiritual rock, that followed them : and that rock was Christ."