Shavuot
Shavuot, as described in the Hebrew Bible, The Torah or Law of Moses, (Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers), is the Feast of Weeks, a harvest festival celebrated 50 days after Passover, involving offerings of first fruits and covenant celebration. Ancient manuscripts like the Dead Sea Scrolls and Jubilees reinforce its agricultural and covenantal significance, with later traditions linking it to the giving of the Torah.
Shavuot, meaning "weeks" in Hebrew is one of the three pilgrimage festivals where Israelites were commanded to appear before God in Jerusalem (Exod-23:4Exod-23#v5Exod-23#v6Exod-23#v7Exod-23#v8Exod-23#v9Exod-23#v10Exod-23#v11Exod-23#v12Exod-23#v13Exod-23#v14Exod-23#v15Exod-23#v16-17, Deut-16:16.
Exodus 23:16 and Exod-34:22 refer to Shavuot as the "Feast of Harvest" and the "Feast of Weeks," respectively, marking the first fruits of the wheat harvest. It is celebrated seven weeks after the offering of the omer (a sheaf of barley) during Passover (Lev-23:15-16).
Leviticus 23:15-21 provides detailed instructions: From the day after the Sabbath following Passover, Israel was to count seven weeks (49 days), and on the 50th day, offer a new grain offering to God. This included two loaves of bread made from fine flour, along with animal sacrifices (sin offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings).
Deut-16;9Deut-16#v10Deut-16#v11-12 emphasizes counting seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the grain, culminating in a joyous festival where Israel, servants, Levites, foreigners, widows, and orphans celebrate God’s provision.
Num-28:26Num-28#v27Num-28#v28Num-28#v29Num-28#v30-31 calls it the "day of first fruits" and details additional sacrificial offerings.
Ancient manuscripts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls (e.g., the Temple Scroll, 11Q19), confirm Shavuot’s agricultural focus and its timing. The Qumran community’s calendrical texts (e.g., 4Q320-4Q321) detail precise calculations for the 50-day count, aligning with biblical instructions.
Pentecost, from the Greek word pentekoste ("fiftieth"), is the Greek name for Shavuot in the New Testament and Hellenistic Jewish texts (e.g., Philo and Josephus).