Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

TRUMPETS, FEAST OF

“A day to blow trumpets,” a feast on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri (Sept.-Oct.), beginning Israel’s most sacred month which also included the Feast of Booths and the Day of Atonement. The feast was inaugurated with trumpet blasts (Num. 29:1). All work was to cease and the people gather together to hear a public reading of the Law (Neh. 7:73b–8:12). Sacrifices included one young bull, one ram, and seven male lambs all one year old, accompanied by grain offerings (Num. 29:2-6). In addition to this and the daily and monthly burnt offerings and grain offerings, a male goat was to be sacrificed as a sin offering to make atonement for the people. Perhaps this was in anticipation of the Day of Atonement that would occur nine days later.

Although the biblical texts prescribe the necessary details for the feast, there is no mention of the original purpose or function of the feast. Since the advent of postbiblical Judaism, the Feast of Trumpets has been celebrated as a New Year’s Day celebration. There is no mention of a New Year’s Day celebration in the OT, Josephus, or Philo (cf. Ezek. 40:1, which refers only to the time of year). Some speculate that the significance of a New Year’s celebration would have been downplayed because of its prominence among the polytheistic religions of Israel’s neighbors, but if such an event were indeed celebrated, it would have been on this day.

Melissa L. Archer

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

TRUMPETS, FEAST OF

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)