It only remains to be added, that when the Feast of Tabernacles fell on a Sabbatical year (q. v.) the reading of portions of the law (Deut. xxxi, 10-13) was after- wards confined to one book of the Pentateuch. This arose from the multiplication of synagogues, in which the law was read every week, thus rendering it less needful to read extensive portions in the Temple dur- ing this festival, inasmuch as the people had now am- ple opportunities of listening in their respective places of worship to the reading of the law and the prophets. Hence also the reading of the law, which in olden days took place in the last hours of the forenoon of every day of this festival, was afterwards restricted to one day. It was at last assigned to the high-priest, and ultimately to the king.
It is said that the altar was adorned throughout the seven days with sprigs of willows, one of which each Israelite who came into the court brought with him. The great number of the sacrifices has already been noticed. The number of public victims offered on the first dav exceeded those of any day in the year {.Venach. xiii, 5). But besides these, the Chagigahs or private peace-offerings were more abundant than at any other time; and there is reason to believe that the whole of the sacrifices nearly outnumbered all those offered at the other festivals put together. It belongs to the character of the feast that on each day the trumpets of the Tem- ])le are said to have sounded twenty-one times. Though all the Hebrew annual festivals were seasons of rejoic- ing, the Feast of Tabernacles was, in this respect, distin- guished above them all. The huts and the Itildbs must have made a gay and striking spectacle over the city by day, and the lamps, the flambeaux, the music, and the joyous gatherings in the court of the Temple must have given a still more festive character to the night. Hence it was called by the rablnns SPt, the festiral, kut iKox>}v. There is a proverb in Sukkuh (v, 1), " He who
has never seen the rejoicing at the pouring-out of the water of Siloam has never seen rejoicing in liis life." Jlaimonides says that he who failed at the Feast of Tabernacles in contributing to the public joy according to his means incurred es]X'cial guilt (Car|)zov, p. 419). The feast is designated by Josephus {Ant. viii, 4, 1) lopr}) ayuoTc'iTr] Kai ntyicTTr}, and by Philo ioprCjv lxtyi(jTii. Its thoroughly festive nature is shown in the accounts of its observance in Josephus (ibid, viii, 4, 1 ; XV, 33), as well as in the accounts of its celebration by Solomon, Ezra, and Judas ilaccaba;us. From this fact, and its connection with the ingathering of the fruits of the year, especially the vintage, it is not wonderful that Plutarch should have likened it to the Dionysiac festivals, calling it Oupaocpopia and KpuT)]po(popia {Sym- pos. iv).
3. From the Dispersion of the Jeu's to the Present Time. — Excepting the ordinances which were local and belonged to the Temple and its sacrificial service, and bating the exposition and more rigid explanation of some of the rites so as to adapt them to the altered con- dition of the nation, the Jews to the present day con- tinue to .celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles as in the days of the second Temple. As soon as the Day of Atonement is over, every orthodox Israelite, according to the ancient canons, begins to erect his booth in which he and his family take up their temporary abode dur- ing this festival. Each paterfamilias also provides him- self with a ^«/a6-- palm, and e^Aro^ — citron, as defined by the ancient canons. On the eve of the 14th of Tish- ri, or of the Preparation Daj' (mzD 3T"), the festival commences. All the Jews, attired in their festive gar- ments, resort to the synagogue, where, after the evening prayer (!3"'"l"''2) appointed in the liturgy for this oc- casion, the hallowed nature of the festival is proclaimed by the cantor ("1111) in the blessing pronounced over the cup of wine (TUTlp). After the evening service, every family resorts to its respective booth, which is illumi- nated and adorned with foliage and diverse fruit, and in which the first festive meal is taken. Before, how- ever, anything is eaten, the bead of the family pro- nounces the sanctity of the festival over a cup of wine. This sanctification or Kiddush (^i^llp) was ordained by the men of the Great Synagogue (q. v.), and as there is no doubt that our Saviour and his apostles recited it, we shall give it in English. It is as follows: " Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast created the fruit of the vine ! Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast chosen us from among all nations, hast exalted us above all tongues, and hast sanctified us with thy command- ments. In love, O Lord, thou hast given us appoint- ed times for joy, festivals, and seasons for rejoicing; and this Feast of Tabernacles, this time of our glad- ness, the holy convocation, in memory of the exodus from Egypt; for thou hast chosen us, and hast sanc- tified us above all nations, and hast caused us to in- herit thy holy festivals with joy and rejoicing. Bless- ed art thou, O Lord, who hast sanctified Israel and the seasons ! Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with thy command- ments, and hast enjoined us to dwell in booths! Bless- ed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast preserved us alive, sustained us, and brought us to the beginning of this season!" Thereupon each mem- ber of the family washes his hands, pronouncing the prescribed benediction while drying them, and all en- joy the repast. The orthodox Jews sleep in the booths all night. The following morning, which is the first day of the festival, they again resort to the synagogue, holding the palms and citrons in their hands. They lay them down during the former part of the prayer, but take them up after the eighteen benedictions, when they are about to recite the llallel. Holding the palm in the right hand and the citron in the left, they recite