Palm Sunday- Sukkot??

[Chris V++]

I hope it's ok to post this in this forum. Today seems appropriate to bring this up. Not long ago I saw a public television documentary by an archeologist Simcha Jacobovici which made a case that Palm Sunday was in reality a different Jewish Holiday called Sukkot. Palms to the Jews were like Christmas trees to contemporary Christians, something cut for the festivities, which is why they had them readily available when Jesus entered Jerusalem. Simcha was trying to promote an alternative narrative for Holy Week- that it actually stretched out for months with Jesus in prison for months after his arrest before he was tried and finally executed. Part of his speculation was he thought it unlikely that the mob turned so quickly against Jesus.

This site explains the palms:
https://blog.israelbiblicalstudies.com/holy-land-studies/palms/
excerpt: 'What is the reason for one of the most curious features of this story, namely, the waving of palm branches the week before Passover, only mentioned by John? In the Jewish tradition palm branches, lulavim, are waved on Sukkot (the autumn Festival of Booths or Tabernacles), not Passover! Although there are scholars who have suggested that the triumphal entry took place on Sukkot of the previous year (six months before Passover), the use of palm fronds in this scene likely has nothing to with Sukkot. In the lifetime of Jesus, waving palm fronds had become an instantly recognized Jewish national symbol'

I'm not sure if this is denomination specific. Does anyone have an explanation for the Jews having the palms readily available on what is now Palm Sunday?

 

[Albion]

Didn't you already explain it? They were part of the trappings used by the crowds gathered to greet the coming to town of a king or similar celebrity. Jesus was seen as such by these crowds, although I do not think that they represented the whole of the Jewish population...and that explains how another section, urged on by their religious leaders, could call for Barabbas instead of Jesus only a few days later.

 

[Chris V++]

Simcha was arguing that the palms were 'ready to go' for the festival of Sukkot, but I guess its just as likely that the crowd could have went out and cut palms in anticipation of the expected Savior, presuming they knew his anticipated time of arrival.

 

[Albion]

Simcha was arguing that the palms were 'ready to go' for the festival of Sukkot, but I guess its just as likely that the crowd could have went out and cut palms in anticipation of the expected Savior, presuming they knew his anticipated time of arrival.

Yeh. There's nothing at all surprising or shaky about that scenario as an explanation.

 

[Chris V++]

Didn't you already explain it? They were part of the trappings used by the crowds gathered to greet the coming to town of a king or similar celebrity. Jesus was seen as such by these crowds, although I do not think that they represented the whole of the Jewish population...and that explains how another section, urged on by their religious leaders, could call for Barabbas instead of Jesus only a few days later.

Sorry I should have read Matthew 21 :6 before starting this thread. It does specifically say the palms were cut then and there:

'6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,'


I wouldn't be offended if you deleted this thread.

 

[Joelthe vicious]

'What is the reason for one of the most curious features of this story, namely, the waving of palm branches the week before Passover, only mentioned by John? In the Jewish tradition palm branches, lulavim, are waved on Sukkot (the autumn Festival of Booths or Tabernacles), not Passover!

The 'Passion week' the week of the Last Passover Suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ occurred from "the tenth day in the beginning of the year in the selfsame Whole Day BONE-DAY the hand of the LORD came upon Me and brought Me thither into the land of Israel and set Me upon a very high mountain... Then came He (Christ) unto the gate which looketh to the east, and went up the stairs thereof and (to the measure of His Sufferings) MEASURED the house of Israel. ... 16 And from the face of the GATE ... to the posts of the windows round about and inwards (into the chambers of Christ's Suffering soul) THERE WERE PALM TREES." In every direction there were windows with "prospect" onto PALM TREES, tokens of Jesus' SUFFERING "unto death" in the chambers of his innermost SOUL, Ezekiel 40 verses 22, 26, 31, 34, 37, until "He went INWARD and measured the posts of the door (gate to DEATH) ... THIS IS THE MOST HOLY PLACE." And still there were the "windows ... above the door, unto the inner house, without and by (in? or to?) the wall round about WITHIN AND WITHOUT BY MEASURE" of Christ's Divine Suffering for our sin --- "and the Whole "Building" of Christ's Suffering was made of cherubims and palm trees (41:18) ... palmtrees ... palmtrees (19) ... palm trees (25) ... palm trees (26) of "the PAINS OF DEATH".

Of course no one who does not believe in Jesus Christ will or can, agree. Expect it!

 

[bbbbbbb]

Sukkot is a harvest festival and Passover is a spring festival. It is quite impossible to have celebrated Sukkot a week before Passover.

 

[ralliann]

Sukkot is a harvest festival and Passover is a spring festival. It is quite impossible to have celebrated Sukkot a week before Passover.

Didn't the harvest begin the second day of of the feast of unleavened bread? Is Sukkot a harvest festival? The harvest began the third day of Passover, with the bringing in of the first ripe from the field. Sukkot is booths. Pentecost is the festival celebration of the final harvest isn't it?

 

[bbbbbbb]

Didn't the harvest begin the second day of of the feast of unleavened bread? Is Sukkot a harvest festival? The harvest began the third day of Passover, with the bringing in of the first ripe from the field. Sukkot is booths. Pentecost is the festival celebration of the final harvest isn't it?

This should help clarify the situation - Sukkot - Wikipedia

 

[ralliann]

This should help clarify the situation - Sukkot - Wikipedia

Ok. From what I gather from the link it is the end of the harvest. Therefore the harvest begins on the third day of Passover or the second day of the feast of unleavened bread.

 

[bbbbbbb]

Ok. From what I gather from the link it is the end of the harvest. Therefore the harvest begins on the third day of Passover or the second day of the feast of unleavened bread.

So, the question raised by the OP has been answered. "Palm" Sunday is unrelated to Sukkot.

 

[ViaCrucis]

1) No, Palm Sunday isn't related to Sukkot, because Jesus triumphant entry was in the week leading up to Passover, and Passover is in the spring while Sukkot is in early autumn.

2) Simcha Jacobovici is probably not the most reliable source of archeological information, as his work tends to be sensationalist, to put it mildly.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ralliann]

So, the question raised by the OP has been answered. "Palm" Sunday is unrelated to Sukkot.

yep