Redeeming time: the wisdom of ancient Jewish and Christian festal calendars (original) (raw)

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN AND THE SECOND PASSOVER

The Polish Journal of Biblical Research, 2023

The difference in the chronology of Passion Week between the Synoptics and in the Gospel of John is often the focus of scholarly attention. In the Synoptics Jesus dies on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the first day following the Passover meal in the evening. In John, Jesus dies on the "Day of Preparation" prior to the Passover sacrifice and meal. By factoring in biblical festivals named in calendrical texts from Qumran, and the law on the Second Passover (Num 9:6-14), which is named "the Second Passover" ‫השני‬ ‫פסח‬ in the Qumran calendars of the priestly courses (mišmarot), I argue that the Johannine writers describe a different timeline of the Passion Week to that of the Synoptics. This study examines the question of whether Jesus was corpse contaminated at Passover (John 11:55), and his attitude to the law of Num 9:6-14 with respect to the narrative of Lazarus. It concludes that Jesus died on the day of the Second Passover which began that evening (John 12-19). The authors of the Fourth Gospel thereby preserve an interest in Jewish festivals after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. PJoBR 22 (2023): 73-112 ISSN 1641-7224 Print only Also see article in the Church Times, "Easter, One Month Later" April 19, 2024: https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/19-april/faith/faith-features/easter-one-month-later

Passover and the Lord's Supper

Messiah in the Passover, 2017

In 1 Corinthians, Paul refers or alludes to Passover in three separate places, leading some to label it, "The Passover Epistle." In this book chapter, we will investigate each of these Passover passages and discuss their relevance and connection to the practice of sharing in the Lord's Supper, thereby bringing out the sacrament's rich Jewish Passover background.

The History of Passover: Changes in the Religion and Cult of the Judeans in 7th-5th Centuries BCE

Revue Biblique 127,3 (2020), pp. 338-351, 2020

Despite the fact that Passover constitutes one of the most important Jewish feasts, its origins still remain somehow obscure. Biblical references indicate two incompatible traditions about the original character of Passover: a domestic ritual of common Israelites, or a central cultic ritual in the Jerusalem sanctuary. The article aims to present the hypothesis that the central royal sacrifice in Jerusalem in the late 7th century BCE evolved into the domestic feast of 'common Israelites' during the Babylonian Exile. This proposal finds support in John Van Seters' reconstruction of the process of the composition of the Exodus-narratives during the Exile. The next changes in Passover took place in the mid-5 th century BCE, linked to the process of establishing the new cultic calendar. A domestic-like feast was anchored to the fixed days of the month, and incorporated into the pilgrimage to the central sanctuary. This process is well illustrated by the testimonies from Elephantine, in the 5th century BCE. The article concludes by pointing out possible neglected political contexts of the religious reform in 5th century Jehud.

Passover in Biblical Narratives

Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 1999

Passover appears in a variety of texts in the Old Testament. It is a concern of some narratives, instructions, lists and laws. In narratives there are the Passover in Egypt before the exodus, I the Passover on Sinai.? the Passover immediately after entering Canaan," the mentioning of Passover within the context of the account of Solomon's reign," Hezekiah' s Passover.! Josiah's Passover," and the Passover after the return from exile." The legislative texts all come from the Pentateuch with the exception of the one in Ezekie1. 8 Until recently, it was believed that the investigation of the four generally recognized biblical sources/ is the most reliable method to gather some knowledge about the original character of Passover. Scholars invested an incredible effort on comparing descriptions of Passover from various sources and analysing particular words used in those descriptions. The result was a number of explanations the versatility of which already speaks against the employment of method of literary criticism in establishing the true character of Passover. Passover 1. Exod. 12.

Introduction to analyses of the original rite of the Passover in the light of the literary scheme of the Book of Exodus 1–18

Pierwotny ryt Paschy w świetle schematu literackiego Księgi Wyjścia 1-18, Kraków 2008, p. 7-52., 2008

The present paper aims to show, on the one hand, the general characteristic of the Feast of Passover and its rite, and their connections with the Old Testament. On the other hand, the purpose is to show the value of obedience to methodological rules which Magisterium of the Church gives as being essential to read the truth revealed by God as Author of Holy Scriptures. Finally, one will compare the method of research in this dissertation with previous methods used by biblical scholars to find an answer to some important question. One will point out simultaneously the right method to prove the primary thesis of the dissertation. This paper is the translation of the Introduction of the doctoral dissertation: Wojciech Kosek, Pierwotny ryt Paschy w świetle schematu literackiego Księgi Wyjścia 1-18, Kraków 2008, p. 7-52. Table of content: 1. The general characteristic of Passover and its rite in light of the Old Testament. 2. Israel's tradition about the Passover rite. 3. The Book of Exodus about the Passover rite. 4. The methods of reading and analyzing the Holy Scriptures. 5. The primary thesis of this work. 6. The primary research method on the background of previous methods.

The Influence of Religious Feasts in Shaping the Jewish People up to the time of Jesus' First Coming

How was the Jewish culture shaped, in part, by the teachings held within the Pentateuch – and specifically the observation of religious feasts instituted by God during the formative years of Israel’s history? Aside from observing the Sabbath weekly, Leviticus 23 outlines seven annual religious feasts that the Jews were to observe. This article will outline the purpose and process of each of these annual feasts and then seek to discover the place of these in Jewish history, relating this to the the first coming of the Messiah.