TABERNACLES, THE FEAST-OF (mon an; sept. iopr37 o-ropio'v ; N. T. and Josephus 0-K7/y0777 -y1a ; Philo ownvai), the third of the three great annual festivals, the other two being the feasts of Passover and Pentecost, on which the whole male population were required to appear before the Lord in the national sanctuary.
1. Name and its signification.—This festival is called—i. ril=r1 an, gop-1-37 aromi3m, feria taber 'rat/denim ; the Feast of Tabernacles (Lev. xxiii. 34 ; Deut. xvi. 13, ; xxxi. ; 2 Chron. viii. ; Ezra iii. 4 ; Zech. xiv. 16, 18, 19), because every Israelite was commanded to live in tabernacles (luring its continuance (comp. Lev. xxiii. 43). ii. iraNtri an, eopri7 o-vwreXetas, the Feast of Ingather ing (Exod. xxiii. ; xxxiv. 22), because it was celebrated at the end of the agricultural year, when the ingathering of the fruits and the harvest were completed. And iii. It is Ka's" iEox0, denomi nated rim+ an, the Festival of 7ehanah (Lev. xxiii.
39), or simply .1171, the Festival (i Kings viii. 2 ; 2 Chron. v. 3 ; vii. 8, 9 ; Afishna, Shekalinz, 1; Succa, ii. 6 ; Rosh Ha-Shana, i. 2 ; Afegilla, 5 ; Taanith, 1, 2), because of its importance, and of its being the most joyful of all festivals. The assertion of Winer (Bibl. Realwoerterbuth, s.v . Laubhiittenfest '), repeated by Keil (Archlio logic, vol. i. sect. 85, note 3) and Bahr ii. 66o), that the Rabbins call this festi val nm-v.)n ims, dies multiplicationis, is incorrect. The Mishna, which Winer quotes in corrobora tion of this assertion, does not denominate this festival as such, but simply speaks of the many sacrifices offered on the first day thereof. The Mishna in question is as follows : 'If any one vows wine [for the Temple] he must not give less than three /ogs; if oil, not less than one log If he says, I do not know how much I have set apart, he must give as much as is used on the day which requires most ' (lifenachoth, xiii. 5)--i.e. as
is used on the first day of the festival [of Taber nacles] when it happens to be on a Sabbath, for on such a day there are more libations used than on any other day in the year, inasmuch as i4o logs of wine are required for the different sacrifices. After this, it need scarcely be added that the Rabbins never called the Feast of Tabernacles by this name.
2. The time at which this festival was celebrated. —The time fixed for the celebration of this festival is from the 15th to the 22d of Tishri= September, when the season of the year is changing for winter (TpE77"0/111.0021 76 XOLIraP TOO Katpo0 rp6s 7-41/, XELI.LOLOP ebpav, Joseph. Antiq. 1o. 4). There were thus only four days intervening between this festi val and the Great Day of Atonement. But though its duration strictly speaking was only seven days (Deut. xvi. ; Ezek. xlv. 25), yet, as it was fol lowed by a day of holy convocation, this festival is sometimes described as lasting eight days (Lev. xxiii. 36 ; Neh. viii. 18).
3.. The manner in which this festival was cele brated.—As it is most essential, in describing the manner in which this festival was and still is cele brated, to distinguish between the Pentateuchal enactments and those rites, ceremonies, and prac tices, which gradually obtained in the course of time, we shall divide our description into three periods—viz. A. The period dating from the origi nal institution of this festival to the Babylonish captivity. B. The period beginning with the re turn from Babylon, and terminating with the de struction of the Temple. And C. From the dis persion of the Jews to the present day.