AV, THE FIFTEENTH OF

AV, THE FIFTEENTH OF
AV, THE FIFTEENTH OF (Heb. ט״וּ בְּאָב, Tu be-Av), minor holiday in the days of the Second Temple, marking the beginning of the vintage in ancient Palestine. According to the Mishnah, on this day (as well as on the day of atonement ) the daughters of Jerusalem dressed in white raiments (which they borrowed that "none should be abashed which had them not") and went forth to dance in the vineyards chanting songs (Ta'an. 4:8; TB, ibid. 31a). This was also the day of the wood offering when all people brought kindling wood for the Temple altar (see: Neh. 10:35). This festival was instituted by the Pharisees who, according to Graetz, celebrated their victory over the Sadducees on this day (Graetz, Gesch, 3 (19605), 460, 572). Josephus, however, gives the 14th of Av as the date of this holiday (Wars, 2:6). The Talmud (Ta'an. 30b–31a; BB 121a, b; TJ, Ta'an. 4:11, 69c) gives six more events that occurred on this date as reasons for this minor holiday: (1) the tribes were allowed to intermarry (Num. 36:8 ff.); (2) the Benjamites were readmitted into the community (Judg. 21:18 ff.); (3) the death of the Israelites in the Sinai Desert for their sin regarding the report of the spies to Canaan ceased (Num. 14:32); (4) the last king of the Israelite kingdom, hosea b. elah , removed the checkposts which jeroboam i installed to prevent the Israelites from making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem (I Kings 12:29; II Kings 18:4); (5) the Romans permitted the burial of the soldiers who fell in the defense of Bar Kokhba's last stronghold, Bethar; and (6) from this day onward no more wood was chopped for the Temple because the sun was no longer strong enough to dry it. Since this holiday was celebrated by torches and bonfires some scholars believe that it originated in a pagan festival of the summer solstice (such as the 15th of Shevat which falls on the day of winter solstice). On Av the Fifteenth the Taḥanun prayer is omitted and there are no eulogies at burials. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: J.T. Lewinski (ed.), Sefer ha-Mo'adim, 6 (1956), 481–531; Gutmann, Mafte'ah, S.V. "Av-(4)"; ET, S.V. "Av-(4)"; L. Finkelstein, The Pharisees, 1 (1946), 54–56.

Encyclopedia Judaica. 1971.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • 'Tis the Fifteenth Season — The Simpsons episode Promotional Artwork featuring Homer in a parody of How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Episode no …   Wikipedia

  • 'Tis The Fifteenth Season — Episodio de Los Simpson Episodio n.º Temporada 15 Episodio 320 Código de producción FABF02 Guionista(s) Michael Price Director Steven Dean Moore Fecha de emisión …   Wikipedia Español

  • List of philosophers born in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries — Philosophers born in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries (and others important in the history of philosophy) , listed alphabetically::: Note: This list has a minimal criteria for inclusion and the relevance to philosophy of some individuals on… …   Wikipedia

  • The Carmelite Order —     The Carmelite Order     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Carmelite Order     One of the mendicant orders.     Origin     The date of the foundation of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been under discussion from the fourteenth century to …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution — The Fifteenth Amendment (Amendment XV) of the United States Constitution prohibits each government in the United States to prevent a citizen from voting based on that citizen s race, [The Amendment applies to all races (read Rice v. Cayetano )]… …   Wikipedia

  • Fifteenth —    The fifteens or fifteenth, as it is generally called, was originally an imperial tax levied throughout the kingdom for various purposes, as wars and such like.    It was a tax of one fifteenth on movables of all kinds, and was of a similar… …   Dictionary of London

  • The Reformation —     The Reformation     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► The Reformation     The usual term for the religious movement which made its appearance in Western Europe in the sixteenth century, and which, while ostensibly aiming at an internal renewal of the …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland — The Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland repealed the constitutional prohibition of divorce. It was effected by the Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, 1995, which was approved by referendum on 24 November 1995 and signed… …   Wikipedia

  • Fifteenth dynasty of Egypt — The Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Second Intermediate Period.RulersKnown rulers, in the History of Egypt, for the Fifteenth Dynasty are as follows:The Fifteenth Dynasty… …   Wikipedia

  • Fifteenth Amendment — The Fifteenth Amendment may refer to:*The Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race but not sex. *The Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland, which allowed divorce to… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”