The Composite Model
Shavu’ot
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What is Shavu’ot?
Shavu'ot, (‫ )שבזעזח‬or the Festival of
Weeks, is the second of the three major
religious festivals that required Jews to
visit the Temple and offer sacrifice. The
other two are Passover and Sukkot
(sometimes called Tabernacles).
The word shavu’ot literally means
‘weeks’!
Where is the direction to celebrate
Shavu’ot found?
The instructions about what to do, and
when to do it, are found in the Book of
Leviticus, one of the five Law books
which make up the Torah.
Read Leviticus 23:15 – 21
What does Shavu’ot remember?
Shavu’ot remembers and celebrates both
an historical event and an agricultural
event.
Historically, Shavu’ot remembers the
giving of the Torah to Moses at Mt Sinai.
Agriculturally, Shavu’ot remembers the
harvest of the first fruit. In the time of
Jesus, the agricultural significance
received most attention.
Where is the direction to celebrate
Shavuot found?
Shavu'ot was not tied to a particular
calendar date, but to Passover.
Leviticus decreed that Shavu’ot was to
be celebrated ‘the day after the seventh
sabbath’ counting from the second day
of Passover.
Where is the direction to celebrate
Shavuot found?
So, the 50th day after the second day of
Passover is Shavu’ot. Because of the
way its date was determined, in Greek
Shavu’ot is called ‘Pentecost’, from the
Greek word ‘pent’ meaning ‘5’.
Where is the direction to celebrate
Shavuot found?
By linking the date of Shavu’ot to Passover,
the Jewish people connected two memories
about freedom.
The Passover had freed them from physical
slavery in Egypt while Shavu'ot and its gift of
the Torah freed them to love God as the
chosen people.
Jewish Shavu’ot and Christian
Pentecost
It important to realise that, although
Christians celebrate Pentecost as the day in
which the Holy Spirit came to the early
community, the Shavu’ot/Pentecost that Luke
talks about in Acts of the Apostles was the
Jewish festival. So what happened during
Shavu’ot in the first century?
Shavu’ot in the first century
For Jews the
preparation for
Shavu’ot began with
the identification and
marking (with reed
ribbons) of the first
ripe fruits to be
taken to the Temple.
As well as fruit, a
dove and goat were
selected for offering.
Shavu’ot in the first century
Once at the Temple
the owner of the fruit
enters the Court of
Israel and stands
before the Priest.
The Priest leads the
owner to recite Bible
verses from
Deuteronomy (Deut
26:5).
Shavu’ot in the first century
The Priest
receives the
fruit and
‘waves’ the
basket in the
prescribed
manner.
Shavu’ot in the first century
Deuteronomy 26:11
says ‘place it
before the Lord,
your God’ so the
owner places the
basket of fruit down
in the courtyard.
Shavu’ot in the first century
Finally the owner bows down before God,
present in the Holy of Holies. They then
leave the fruit behind and return home.
Shavu’ot in the first century
For the Priests, the central feature of Shavu’ot
was the bringing of two loaves of bread into the
Temple. These loaves were made from the first
wheat cut from the fields. Because these loaves
were an offering to God, the Priests rubbed and
beat the wheat, rather than threshing it, to
separate the seeds from the chaff.
Shavu’ot in the first century
The kernels were then ground into flour.
This flour was then sifted and sieved so
that it was of the highest quality.
Shavu’ot in the first century
Each of the two loaves were kneaded and
baked separately. Both loaves were rectangular
in shape with ‘horns’ on each corner to
represent the altar.
Shavu’ot in the first century
Lambs would also
be sacrificed as
peace offerings at
Shavu’ot. Both the
lamb and the
bread were given
to the priests to
consume.
Shavu’ot in the first century
Deuteronomy 26:15 says ‘and you shall
rejoice for all the goodness which the
Lord your God has given to you and
your household.’
During Shavu’ot Jerusalem would have
bustling with Jewish pilgrims from all
around the area fulfilling their religious
duties. The atmosphere would have
been exciting, with the smells, sounds
and sights of a great festival!