Do You Know the History Behind the Feast of Pentecost?

The Feast of Pentecost as Celebrated in Judaism

In Judaism, the Feast of Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks) is known as Shavuot, one of the three major pilgrimage festivals. It takes place 50 days after Passover and commemorates the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mount Sinai. During this time, Jewish people from all over the known world would travel to Jerusalem to celebrate. According to the website www.myjewishlearning.com, "The Bible refers to Shavuot as chag hakatzir, the festival of the harvest, since Shavuot was also the time when the first fruits, known as bikkurim, were brought as a sacrificial offering in the Temple" (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shavuot-101)/). It was a time of great joy, thanksgiving, and worship, where pilgrims brought offerings of the first fruits of their harvest to the Temple as an act of gratitude to God. Jerusalem would be filled with people speaking many different languages, representing Jewish communities from across the Roman Empire and beyond. This vibrant and diverse gathering set the perfect stage for what would later happen in Acts 2—when the Holy Spirit came and the gospel was first preached to people from every nation under heaven.