Jewish Series: Sukkot

History of Sukkot

Festival of Booths

Tonight, at sunset on October 6, begins the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Festival of Booths or the Festival of Tabernacles.

We’ve talked about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but this holiday is significant because it is considered one of the three “pilgrimage” festivals in the Jewish calendar.

The Old Testament Book of Leviticus discusses the Exodus from slavery in Egypt of the Children of Israel. They were to commemorate it by living in temporary booths for a week

“… that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 23:43

The week started with a Sabbath (a day of rest from work) and ended on the eighth day with another Sabbath.

Pilgrimage Holidays

A “pilgrimage” holiday was when Jewish males were required to travel up to the Temple in Jerusalem — you always “go up” to Jerusalem, even from the north, because it is uphill.

Until the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, Sukkot, along with Passover and Pentecost, were the three feasts or festivals when ancient male Israelites, as commanded in the Torah (the Law, the 5…