I. PRE-EXILE or MOSAIC FESTIVALS.
Their general designation and classification.— All the festivals in the Mosaic law are desifm„ ated by one common name, myr 4-11/10 or a+-Inn (comp. Lev. xxiii. 21 4, 44 ; Num. xxviii. 2, 29). As inn, front 11/4 to appoint, signi'des meeting; a coming too,ether,riliT ',I'M denotes the nzeeting-s of yekovah, i.e., with His people ; and these festivals therefore are as much special occasions appointed by God for meetings with the children of Israel as the Tabernacle was -um a special place ap pointed by the Lord to flied his worshippers (comp. Exod. xxv. 22 ; REYii. 21 ; xxviii. 43 ; xxix. 42-46 xxx. 6 ; Num. xviii. 9). Under this common name, however, are comprised two classes of fes tivals, viz., annual and periodical.
A I. Annual Festivals, their names, numbers etc.—The annual festivals are as follows : i. The Feast of Passover, or of Unleavened bread mow an, rrivnn an), which extends from the 15th to the 22d of .Arisan. The first day and the seventh, however, are real festival days (Nnpo tnp, holy convocation), as the five intervening clays are the week days of the festival (13110 51n) comp. Exod. xii. 6 • Lev. xxiii. 5, 8; Num. xxviii. 16-25; Deut. xvi.
ii. The R.ast of Pentecost, of weeks, or of the harvest, or of the day on which were offered the loaves made of the new wheat (n,-)173T1 C14 r113.21= am, vypt, an), which is the 6th of Sivan, comp. Exod. xxxiv. 26 ; Lev. xxiii. 9-12 ; Num. xxviii. 26-31.
iii. The Feast of Trumpets ownn ni+), called by the Jews New Year (r1;n1 Mt1), which is on the 1st of Tishri (comp. Lev. xxiii. 23-25 ; NUM.
XXiX. 1-6).
iv. The Day of Atonement, or The Great Sab bath (-11.= nnty), which is on the Toth of Tishri (comp. Lev. xvi. 1-34 ; xxiii. 26-32 ; Num. xxix. 7-1i).
v. The Feast of Tabernacles or of Ingathering of the Harvest (ininirri ari), which tends from the r5th of Tishri to the 22d. The first day alone, however, is the real festival day (trip t•ripn, holy convocation), as the six fol lowing days are the week days of the Festival &in ; comp. Gen. xxiii. ; Lev. xxiii. 33-43 ; Num. xxix. 12-39 • Deut. xvi. 13-15.
vi. The concluding- Festival of the whole cycle (Iry ,a4nta,), which is on the 23d of Tishri, fol lowin, immediately upon or continuing the Feast of Talernacles, and requiring distinct sacrifices (Comp. Lev. xxiii. 36 ; Num. xxix. 35-37).
2. Their connection and arlaptation.—The organ ic connection of these festivals is seen from the fact that the collective number of the holy convocations (viz., two Passover, one on Pentecost, one on Trum pets, one on the Day of Atonement, one on the Feast of Tabernacles, and one on the concluding Feast), amounts to the sacred number seven ; and that, as in the seven days of the week, six cluster round the Sabbath, so in these seven festival-days six gather round the Great Day of Atonement (lnla 41inz.,,!,), which is the Festival of the Feasts. Equally striking is the fact, that in all these annual festivals no two days demanding entire suspension of ordin ary labour and devotion to holy service (Nip» rip), follow each other. If, as is the case with the Feast of Passover and Tabernacles, two days are to be celebrated in this manner, one is put at the beginning and the other at the end of the festi vals, and a number of days are made to intervene, on which cessation from public service and the re suming of business and social intercourse are al lowed. This arrangement is evidently adapted to the circumstances of man, and is designed to pre vent tediousness and fatigue, as well as to afford all the pilgrims who went up to Jerusalem to cele brate the Festivals time for recreation and social intercourse. Moreover, owing to the same benign regard for the convenience of the people, we see that no festival was to be celebrated in the winter, when every thing is dreary and joyless, and travel ling is difficult, but that one was appointed for the spring and one for the summer, since the people could not conveniently celebrate more during these seasons, whilst four are ordained for the autumn, two of a serious and two of a joyful character, in harmony with the season, which partakes of both these features.