Shavuot, A Summer Festival

Today is Shavuot, the summer harvest festival celebrated in Israel from antiquity. God told Moses to command the Hebrews, “Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the Lord your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the Lord your God has given you. And rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name.” (Deut. 16:9-11)

Flowers in the Golan

The Jews have taken this celebration as a time as an opportunity for thanksgiving, remembering that God is the provider of all good things. Children wear wreaths of flowers around their heads to celebrate the beauty of nature during the days leading up to the festival of weeks. Christians, without realizing it, count the omer and call the day of first fruits Pentecost.

Pomegranate Tree with flowers and young fruit

The Mishnah relates that before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, the Festival of First Fruits was a community gala when people of Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem bringing an offering from their agricultural produce at the time of their local harvest.

Banana Plantation in Galilee

A local official would cry out on the day after the first harvest in each local community, “Rise and let us go up to Zion, to the House of the Lord our God.”

Olive Harvest in Israel

The offering of first fruits would be placed on a cart, drawn by an ox which was decorated for the occasion. Its horns were covered with gold, an olive crown was placed on its head, and fruits and wreaths adorned its back and the cart.

Flowers in Golan

The local official and a musician who played the halil (flute) would lead a procession, followed by the decorated ox who pulled the cart, which was followed by the people of the community until they reached the vicinity of Jerusalem. Along the road a team of greeters would join the procession and enlarge the music and joy of the celebration until the entire procession reached the gates of the city.

Damascus Gate, a main entry into Jerusalem from the north

At the gates of Jerusalem an important official met the procession and led them to Temple Mount. Along the streets of the city tradesmen would greet them with a welcome of peace, with singing, and probably with encouragement to examine their wares as the procession left town.

The Shuk, Mahane Yehuda Market

Following the destruction of the Temple, the Jewish people were faced with the dilemma as to how God should be honored without a designated meeting place to honor The Name. Rabbi Meir suggested (Exodus Rabbah, chapter 31) that the festival should be celebrated as the day the Torah was given on Mount Sinai. It has been noted that this event occurred about three months after Passover, which preceded the exodus from Egypt.

Shavuot Program in Haifa

In response, many Jews have added an all night study of Torah to the celebration of Shavuot. They also encourage partaking of dairy products (such as ice cream and cheesecake) to enhance the celebration.

Autumn on the Calendar

One look outside will tell us our world is changing. We have proceeded from the lush green world of spring through the productive days of summer into a time of drying out. Fall with its cooler temperatures, pumpkin harvest and leaf coloration is getting close.

Pumpkin Days are almost here

Days are getting noticeably shorter with the sun rising later and later each morning. Older people are asking when the time change occurs [and are suddenly interested in yard work … although they have only rarely performed a horticultural task during the course of their 85-90 years of life]. The procession of the autumn equinox, which is when the Sun crosses the Equator, occurs Thursday.

Man has for thousands of years taken note of the seasons out of interest and necessity. In the year when Cain planted his first crop it became necessary to know when spring would occur. For those with tomato plants it is important to know the timing of the first and final frosts. In the prehistoric times man first began to count days, and in time he wrote the counting of days down on a calendar.

The Gezer Calendar

The world’s oldest calendar is found at Gezer in Israel. It counts the days in this way: “Two months of harvest, Two months of sowing, Two months of late planting, One month of hoeing flax, One month of barley harvest, One month of harvest and measuring, two months of vine pruning, One month of summer.” The calendar is important so the farmer gets his timing correct.

Gezer Calendar Explained

The calendar of the Bible is based on agriculture, just as the calendar of Gezer. The Biblical calendar is a twelve month lunar calendar, adjusted with a leap month by the Mesopotamian astronomers to maintain a proper planting season. The months are named “Aviv” for spring, “Iyar” for blossom, “Sivan” for season, “Elul” for harvest, “Tishri” for beginning, “Ethanim” and “Bul” meaning brooks and rain. The Hebrew calendar looks to God as the provider.

The major events of the Hebrew people are agricultural. Passover is celebrated at the time of the first spring harvest. Shavuot or Pentecost is when the first fruits of the summer crop are given to God. The festivals of the seventh month are connected to the autumn ingathering. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur involve cultivation and care for the soul. Sukkoth (Feast of Tabernacles) thanks God at the time the final harvest. Simchat Torah represents the beginning of a new cycle.

Calendar Comparison

Our current calendar when placed alongside the Biblical calendar will show some glaring, unthought-of differences. Under our current calendar and culture our holidays are civil and not agricultural. We think of people and not God. The names of the months (and even the days) honor Roman gods who’s sole ambition in life was to serve themselves, often at the expense of others.

In any study of the Bible it is important rise above our cultural biases in order to learn about the people of the book and the desires of the Lord God, the creator of all things.