[329] חג הסכות Chag hasuccoth.
Concerning these Booths, the Jews write thus:[330] They ought to be made in the open Air, not within doors, nor under the shelter of a Tree; they ought not to be covered with cloaths, nor to be made too close with the thickness of the Boughs, but with such holes that the Sun and the Stars might be seen thorow them, and the rain likewise descend thorow them. In these they ought to dwell those seven days, as in their houses; they ought to furnish them with houshold-stuff to ly under them, and sleep under them; only in rainy weather, then they had liberty to eat and sleep in their houses, untill the rain was over-past. Feeble persons also, which could not endure the smell of the earth, were permited to stay at home. In Nehemiah’s time they made their Booths, some upon the roof of their houses (for their houses were made flat above) Deut. 22. 8. Some in their Courts, some in their streets, Nehem. 8. 15.
[330] Munster Levit. 23.
Plutarch making mention of this Festivity, saith,[331] that these Booths were made principally of Ivy boughs: but the Scripture reckoneth up four distinct kinds, Levit. 23. 40. which are thought to be, 1. The Cittern tree. 2. The Palm-tree. 3. The Myrtle tree. 4. The willow of the brook. The Rabbins teach,[332] that every man brought every morning his burden of the boughs of these four Trees, otherwise he fasted that day. And this burden they termed[333] Hosanna: in allusion unto this the people cutting down branches from the Trees, and strewing them in the way when our Saviour did ride into Jerusalem, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, Mat. 21. 9. Plutarch scoffing the Jews, compares this Feast with that drunken Festival in the honour of Bacchus, in which the Bacchides ran up and down with certain Javelings in their hands, wrapped about with Ivy, called θυρσοὶ and in this respect he termeth this feast of the Jews θυρσοφορίαν A bearing about of these Thyrsi. That feast which the Athenians term Εἰρεσιώνη, was not much unlike.
[331] Plutarch. Sympos. 4. Problem. 5.
[332] P. Fag. Levit. 23.
[333] Elias Thisbit.
Moreover on the next day after this feast, they compassed the Altar[334] seven times with Palm-boughs in their hands, in the remembrance of the overthrow of Jericho: for which reason, or else because that Palm branches were the chief in the bundle, it was called Dies Palmarum, Palm Feast.
[334] Hospinian. de Orig. fest. cap. 7. It. Munst. in Calendar. p. 150.
Concerning the reason of this Feast; some are of opinion, that it was instituted in memory of that protection which the Lord vouchsafed the Israelites by the Cloud, when they travelled thorow the Wilderness, under the shadow of which they travelled, as under a safe Booth or Tent. Onkelos in his Chaldee Paraphrase, seemeth to incline to this opinion. Where the Hebrew readeth; That your posterity may know, that I have made the children of Israel to dwell in Booths, Lev. 23. 43. The Chaldee rendereth it, That your posterity may know that I have made the children of Israel to dwell in the shadow of Clouds.[335] Others think[336] it was instituted as a solemn thanksgiving unto God for their Vintage, which was gathered in at that time of the year; thence it is that they conceive those Psalms of David, which are entituled על הגתית pro torcularibus, to have been composed for this feast. Others speak more probably, who assign the cause to be in memory of their Fore-fathers dwelling in Tents and Tabernacles; the Text is clear, Levit. 23. 43.