Topic Study

• Torah: Exodus 19:1 – 20:25; Wayiqra (Leviticus) 23:9-22
• Prophets: Jeremiah 5:15-24
• Writings: Ruth 1:1 – 4:22
• Apostolic: Acts 2:1-11
• Additional: Jubilees 1:1-3; Jubilees 6:1-22

RELATED SCRIPTURES

• Exodus 23:14-17
• Exodus 34:22-24
• Numbers 28:26-31
• Deuteronomy 16:9-12
• Deuteronomy 16:16-17
• Deuteronomy 14:24-27
• 2 Chronicles 8:11-15
• Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1-2; Luke 24:1-2
• Exodus 19:1 – 20:26
• John 20:1-23
• Acts 1:1 – 2:47
• Acts 20:1-16
• 1 Corinthians 16:1-9

RELATED ADDITIONAL READINGS

• Jubilees 15:1-34
• Jubilees 22:1-9
• Exodus 19:1 – 20:26 from the Jerusalem Targum aka Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
• Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus 3.10.5-7

Torah

23:9 YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before YHWH, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 On the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb, a perfect one, a year old for a burnt offering to YHWH. 13 The grain offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to YHWH for a pleasant aroma; and the libation offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. 14 You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain, until the [bone of this day],^(MTT) until you have brought the offering of your Elohim. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 15 You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 The next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; and you shall offer a new grain offering to YHWH. 17 You shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They shall be baked with leaven, for first fruits to YHWH. 18 You shall present with the bread seven lambs, perfect ones, a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to YHWH, with their grain offering and their libation offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to YHWH. 19 You shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a slaughter of peace offerings. 20 The priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before YHWH, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to YHWH for the priest. 21 You shall make proclamation on the [bone of that day]^(MTT) there shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall do no work of service. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 22 When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not finish the corner of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the afflicted and for the sojourner. I am YHWH your Elohim.’ ”

Prophets

5:15 Behold, I will bring a nation on you from far away, house of Israel,” says YHWH. “It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you don’t know and don’t understand what they say. 16 Their quiver is an open tomb. They are all mighty men. 17 They will eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They will eat up your flocks and your herds. They will eat up your vines and your fig trees. They will beat down your fortified cities in which you trust with the sword. 18 “But even in those days,” says YHWH, “I will not make a full end of you. 19 It will happen when you say, ‘Why has YHWH our Elohim done all these things to us?’ Then you shall say to them, ‘Just as you have forsaken me and served foreign elohim in your land, so you will serve strangers in a land that is not yours.’ 20 “Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying, 21 ‘Hear this now, foolish people without understanding, who have eyes, and don’t see, who have ears, and don’t hear: 22 Don’t you fear me?’ says YHWH; ‘Won’t you tremble at my face, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it can’t pass it? Though its waves toss themselves, yet they can’t prevail. Though they roar, they still can’t pass over it.’ 23 “But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart. They have revolted and gone. 24 They don’t say in their heart, ‘Let’s now fear YHWH our Elohim, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who guards for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’

Apostolic

2:1 Now when the day of Shavuot had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 Suddenly there came from the heavens a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the heavens. 6 When this sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8 How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians—we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of Elohim!”

Writings

In traditional Jewish settings, the Book of Ruth is read during Shavuot. One reason for the reading of Ruth on Shavuot is that its story takes place at the beginning of the barley harvest time (cf. Ruth 1:22), and Shavuot also occurs at the time of the spring harvest. Also, Leviticus 23:22 says, “When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not finish the corner of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the afflicted and for the sojourner. I am YHWH your Elohim.” Ruth, a foreigner, was able to glean among the fields in Bethlehem (cf. Ruth 2:1-9)

The custom of reading Ruth is mentioned in the 8th Century Talmudic tractate of Soferim (14:16):

“Ruth [is read] on the termination of the first day of Pentecost to [the end of] its [first] half, and concluded on the termination of the last day of the Festival. Others hold that with all the Festivals, we begin to read [the respective scrolls] on the Saturday night preceding them. People have also adopted the following procedure, viz. that no ruling is authoritatively laid down unless a custom had been definitely established. As regards the saying of the Rabbis that ‘a custom cancels a ruling’, it applies to a custom of the pious men of old; but a custom which has no support from the Torah is only like [an] error of judgment.”

Ruth 1:1 – 4:22

1:1 In the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A certain man of Bethlehem Judah went to live in the country of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. They came into the country of Moab and lived there. 3 Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 They took for themselves wives of the women of Moab. The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years. 5 Mahlon and Chilion both died, and the woman was bereaved of her two children and of her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how YHWH had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 She went out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her. They went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May YHWH deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May YHWH grant you that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices, and wept. 10 They said to her, “No, but we will return with you to your people.” 11 Naomi said, “Go back, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Go back, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, ‘I have hope,’ if I should even have a husband tonight, and should also bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from having husbands? No, my daughters, for it grieves me seriously for your sakes, for the hand of YHWH has gone out against me.” 14 They lifted up their voices and wept again; then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth stayed with her. 15 She said, “Behold,† your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.” 16 Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your Elohim my Elohim. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May YHWH do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” 18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her. 19 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. When they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was excited about them, and they asked, “Is this Naomi?” 20 She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and YHWH has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since YHWH has witnessed against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

2:1 Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech, and his name was Boaz. 2 Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 She went, and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “May YHWH be with you.” They answered him, “May YHWH bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was set over the reapers, “Whose young lady is this?” 6 The servant who was set over the reapers answered, “It is the Moabite lady who came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.” 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go to glean in another field, and don’t go from here, but stay here close to my maidens. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them. Haven’t I commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from that which the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take knowledge of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before. 12 May YHWH repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from YHWH, the Elohim of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” 13 Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, because you have comforted me, and because you have spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not as one of your servants.” 14 At meal time Boaz said to her, “Come here, and eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinegar.” She sat beside the reapers, and they passed her parched grain. She ate, was satisfied, and left some of it. 15 When she had risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and don’t reproach her. 16 Also pull out some for her from the bundles, and leave it. Let her glean, and don’t rebuke her.” 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening; and she beat out that which she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 She took it up, and went into the city. Then her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned; and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left after she had enough. 19 Her mother-in-law said to her, “Where have you gleaned today? Where have you worked? Blessed be he who noticed you.” She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by YHWH, who has not abandoned his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Naomi said to her, “The man is a close relative to us, one of our near kinsmen.” 21 Ruth the Moabitess said, “Yes, he said to me, ‘You shall stay close to my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ” 22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maidens, and that they not meet you in any other field.” 23 So she stayed close to the maidens of Boaz, to glean to the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and she lived with her mother-in-law.

3:1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now isn’t Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens you were? Behold, he will be winnowing barley tonight on the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself, anoint yourself, get dressed, and go down to the threshing floor; but don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 It shall be, when he lies down, that you shall note the place where he is lying. Then you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will tell you what to do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you say, I will do.” 6 She went down to the threshing floor, and did everything that her mother-in-law told her. 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 At midnight, the man was startled and turned himself; and behold, a woman lay at his feet. 9 He said, “Who are you?” She answered, “I am Ruth your servant. Therefore spread the corner of your garment over your servant; for you are a near kinsman.” 10 He said, “You are blessed by YHWH, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich. 11 Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. 12 Now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I. 13 Stay this night, and in the morning, if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good. Let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the duty of a kinsman for you, then I will do the duty of a kinsman for you, as YHWH lives. Lie down until the morning.” 14 She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 He said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; then he went into the city. 16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” She told her all that the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’ ” 18 Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today.”

4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. Boaz said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. 3 He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s. 4 I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the woman of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.” 6 The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.” 7 Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his sandal, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel. 8 So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his sandal. 9 Boaz said to the elders and to all the people, “You are witnesses today, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the woman of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” 11 All the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May YHWH make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, which both built the house of Israel; and treat you worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which YHWH will give you by this young woman.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and YHWH enabled her to conceive, and she bore a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be YHWH, who has not left you today without a near kinsman. Let his name be famous in Israel. 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and sustain you in your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Naomi took the child, laid him in her bosom, and became nurse to him. 17 The women, her neighbors, gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi”. They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now this is the history of the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, 19 and Hezron became the father of Ram, and Ram became the father of Amminadab, 20 and Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon became the father of Salmon, 21 and Salmon became the father of Boaz, and Boaz became the father of Obed, 22 and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

Additional

Between 1947 and 1956 approximately 15 Jubilees scrolls were found in five caves at Qumran, all written in Hebrew. The large number of manuscripts (more than for any biblical books except for Psalms, Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Exodus, and Genesis, in descending order) indicates that Jubilees was widely used at Qumran. A comparison of the Qumran texts with the Ethiopic version, performed by James VanderKam, found that the Ethiopic was in most respects an accurate and literalistic translation. Scholars have dated Jubilees to have been written sometime around 160-150 B.C.

1:1 And it came to pass in the first year of the exodus of the sons of Israel out of Egypt, in the third month, on the sixteenth day of the month [2450 A.M.], that Elohim spake to Moses, saying: “Come up to Me on the Mount, and I will give thee two tables of stone of the law and of the commandment, which I have written, that thou mayst teach them.” 2. And Moses went up into the mount of Elohim, and the glory of YHWH abode on Mount Sinai, and a cloud overshadowed it six days. 3. And He called to Moses on the seventh day out of the midst of the cloud, and the appearance of the glory of YHWH was like a flaming fire on the top of the Mount.

6:1 And on the new moon of the third new moon he went forth from the ark, and built an altar on that mountain. 2. And he made atonement for the land, and took a kid and made atonement by its blood for all the guilt of the land; for everything that had been on it had been destroyed, save those that were in the ark with Noaḥ. 3. And he placed the fat thereof on the altar, and he took an ox, and a goat, and a sheep and kids, and salt, and a turtle-dove, and the young of a dove, and placed a burnt slaughter on the altar, and poured thereon an offering mingled with oil, and sprinkled wine and strewed frankincense over everything, and caused a goodly savour to arise, acceptable before the Lord. 4. And the Lord smelt the goodly savour, and He cut a covenant with him that there should not be any more a flood to destroy the land; that all the days of the land seed-time and harvest should never cease; cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night should not change their order, nor cease for ever. 5. “And you, increase ye and multiply upon the land, and become many upon it, and be a blessing upon it. The fear of you and the dread of you I shall inspire in everything that is on land and in the sea. 6. And behold I have given unto you all beasts, and all winged things, and everything that moveth on the land, and the fish in the waters, and all things for food; as the green herbs, I have given you all things to eat. 7. But flesh, with the life thereof, with the blood, ye shall not eat; for the life of all flesh is in the blood, lest your blood of your lives be required. At the hand of every man, at the hand of every (beast), shall I require the blood of man. 8. Whoso sheddeth man’s blood by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of Elohim made He man. 9. And you, increase ye, and multiply on the land.” 10. And Noaḥ and his sons swore that they would not eat any blood that was in any flesh, and he cut a covenant before the Lord Elohim for ever throughout all the generations of the land in this new moon. 11. On this account He spake to thee that thou shouldst cut a covenant with the sons of Israel in this new moon upon the mountain with an oath, and that thou shouldst sprinkle blood upon them because of all the words of the covenant, which the Lord made with them for ever. 12. And this witness is written concerning you that you should observe it continually, so that you should not eat on any day any blood of beasts or birds or cattle during all the days of the land, and the man who eateth the blood of beast or of cattle or of birds during all the days of the land, he and his seed shall be rooted out of the land. 13. And do thou command the sons of Israel to eat no blood, so that their names and their seed may be before the Lord our Elohim continually. 14. And for this law there is no limit of days, for it is for ever. They shall observe it throughout their generations, so that they may continue supplicating on your behalf with blood before the altar; every day and at the time of morning and evening they shall seek forgiveness on your behalf perpetually before the Lord that they may keep it and not be rooted out. 15. And He gave to Noaḥ and his sons a sign that there should not again be a flood on the land. 16. He set His bow in the cloud for a sign of the eternal covenant that there should not again be a flood on the land to destroy it all the days of the land. 17. For this reason it is ordained and written on the heavenly tables, that they should celebrate the feast of weeks in this new moon once a year, to renew the covenant every year. 18. And this whole festival was celebrated in the heavens from the day of creation till the days of Noaḥ-twenty-six jubilees and five weeks of years [1309-1659 A.M.]: and Noaḥ and his sons observed it for seven jubilees and one week of years, till the day of Noaḥ’s death, and from the day of Noaḥ’s death his sons did away with (it) until the days of Abraham, and they ate blood. 19. But Abraham observed it, and Isaac and Jacob and his children observed it up to thy days, and in thy days the sons of Israel forgot it until ye celebrated it anew on this mountain. 20. And do thou command the sons of Israel to observe this festival in all their generations for a commandment unto them: one day in the year in this new moon they shall celebrate the festival. 21. For it is the feast of weeks and the feast of first fruits: this feast is twofold and of a double nature: according to what is written and engraven concerning it celebrate it. 22. For I have written in the book of the first law, in that which I have written for thee, that thou shouldst celebrate it in its season, one day in the year, and I explained to thee its slaughters that the sons of Israel should remember and should celebrate it throughout their generations in this new moon, one day in every year.

Related Scriptures

Exodus 23:14-17

23:14 You shall observe a feast to me three times a year. 15 You shall guard the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the new moon Aviv, for in it you came out of Egypt, and no one shall appear before me empty. 16 And the Feast of Harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you sow in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in your labors out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord YHWH.

Exodus 34:22-24

34:22 You shall guard the Feast of Weeks with the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Harvest at the year’s end. 23 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord YHWH, the Elohim of Israel. 24 For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither shall any man desire your land when you go up to appear before YHWH, your Elohim, three times in the year.

Numbers 28:26-31

28:26 Also in the day of the first fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to YHWH in your Weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no work of service; 27 but you shall bring a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to YHWH: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 and their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the one ram, 29 one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 30 and one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, you shall do them and their libation offerings. See that they are perfect ones.

Deuteronomy 16:9-12

16:9 You shall count for yourselves seven weeks. From the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain you shall begin to count seven weeks. 10 You shall guard the Feast of Weeks to YHWH your Elohim with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give according to how YHWH your Elohim blesses you. 11 You shall rejoice before YHWH your Elohim: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your maid, the Levite who is within your gates, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, in the place which YHWH your Elohim shall choose to cause his name to dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. You shall observe and do these statutes.

Deuteronomy 16:16-17

16:16 Three times in a year all of your males shall appear before YHWH your Elohim in the place which he chooses: in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before YHWH empty. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to YHWH your Elohim’s blessing which he has given you.

Deuteronomy 14:24-27

14:24 If the way is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry it because the place which YHWH your Elohim shall choose to set his name there is too far from you, when YHWH your Elohim blesses you, 25 then you shall turn it into money, bind up the money in your hand, and shall go to the place which YHWH your Elohim shall choose. 26 You shall trade the money for whatever your soul desires: for cattle, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever your soul asks of you. You shall eat there before YHWH your Elohim, and you shall rejoice, you and your household. 27 You shall not forsake the Levite who is within your gates, for he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

2 Chronicles 8:11-15

8:11 Solomon brought up Pharaoh’s daughter out of David’s city to the house that he had built for her; for he said, “my wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places where the ark of YHWH has come are holy.” 12 Then Solomon offered burnt offerings to YHWH on the altar of YHWH which he had built before the porch, 13 even as the duty of every day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, three times per year, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, during the Feast of Weeks, and during the Feast of Booths. 14 He appointed, according to the judgment of David his father, the divisions of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their offices, to praise and to minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required, the doorkeepers also by their divisions at every gate, for David the man of Elohim had so commanded. 15 They didn’t depart from the commandment of the king to the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasures.

Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1-2; Luke 24:1-2

Matthew 28:1 And on the eve of the Sabbaths, at the dawn, toward one of the Sabbaths, Miriam from Magdala and the other Miriam came to see the tomb.

Mark 16:1 And the Sabbath having past, Miriam from Magdala, and Miriam the mother of Jacob, and Shelomah bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 Early in the morning of one of the Sabbaths, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

Luke 24:1 And on one of the Sabbaths, at early dawn, they and some others came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb.

Exodus 19:1 – 20:26

19:1 In the third new moon after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that same day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 When they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. 3 Moses went up to Elohim, and YHWH called to him out of the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall tell the house of Jacob, and tell the sons of Israel: 4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed hear in my voice and guard my covenant, then you shall be my own possession from among all peoples; for all the land is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a [royal priesthood]^{(LXX)(cf. 1 Peter 2:9)} and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” 7 Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which [Elohim]^(LXX) commanded him. 8 All the people answered together, and said, “All that [Elohim]^(LXX) has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to [Elohim].^(LXX) 9 YHWH said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.” Moses told the words of the people to YHWH. 10 YHWH said to Moses, “Go to the people, and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, 11 and be ready for the third day; for on the third day YHWH will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai. 12 You shall set bounds to the people all around, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t go up onto the mountain, or touch its border. Whoever touches the mountain shall be surely put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it is animal or man, he shall not live.’ When the [yovel] sounds long, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes. 15 He said to the people, “Be ready by the third day. Don’t have sexual relations with a woman.” 16 On the third day, when it was morning, there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain, and the sound of an exceedingly loud shophar; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 Moses led the people out of the camp to meet Elohim; and they stood at the lower part of the mountain. 18 All of Mount Sinai smoked, because [Elohim]^(LXX) descended on it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 When the voice of the shofar grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and [the elohim]^(MTT) answered him by a voice. 20 YHWH came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. YHWH called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 [Elohim]^(LXX) said to Moses, “Go down, warn the people, lest they break through to [Elohim]^(LXX) to gaze, and many of them perish. 22 Let the priests also, who come near to [Elohim],^(LXX) sanctify themselves, lest YHWH break out on them.” 23 Moses said to [Elohim],^(LXX) “The people can’t come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain, and sanctify it.’ ” 24 YHWH said to him, “Go down! You shall bring Aaron up with you, but don’t let the priests and the people break through to come up to [Elohim],^(LXX) lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people, and told them.

20:1 And [Elohim]^(LXX) spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am YHWH your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Other elohim will not exist for you before my face. 4 You will not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the land beneath, or that is in the water under the land: 5 you will not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, YHWH your Elohim, am El Qanna, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the sons, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and guard my commandments. 7 You will not misuse the name of YHWH your Elohim, for YHWH will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart. 9 You will labor six days, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to YHWH your Elohim. You will not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your maid, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; 11 for in six days YHWH made the heavens and land, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. 12 Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which YHWH your Elohim gives you. 13 You will not murder. 14 You will not commit adultery. 15 You will not steal. 16 You will not give false witness against your neighbor. 17 You will not covet your neighbor’s house. You will not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his maid, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” 18 All the people perceived the thunderings, the lightnings, the voice of the shofar, and the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they trembled, and stayed at a distance. 19 They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let Elohim speak with us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for Elohim has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.” 21 The people stayed at a distance, and Moses came near to the thick darkness where Elohim was. 22 YHWH said to Moses, “This is what you will tell the sons of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from the heavens.”

John 20:1-23

20:1 And on one of the Sabbaths, Miriam from Magdala went early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Therefore she ran and came to Shimon Peter and to the other disciple whom Yeshua loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!” 3 Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 5 Stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he didn’t enter in. 6 Then Shimon Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the cloth that had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So then the other disciple who came first to the tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Miriam was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, 12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Yeshua had lain. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Yeshua standing, and didn’t know that it was Yeshua. 15 Yeshua said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Yeshua said to her, “Miriam.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say, “Rabbi!” 17 Yeshua said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my Elohim and your Elohim.’ ” 18 Miriam from Magdala came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these things to her. 19 When therefore it was evening on that day, one of the Sabbaths, and when the doors were locked where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Judeans, Yeshua came and stood in the middle and said to them, “Peace be to you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Yeshua therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.”

Acts 1:1 – 2:47

1:1 The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Yeshua began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the emissaries whom he had chosen. 3 To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the reign of Elohim. 4 Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the reign to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” 9 When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 While they were looking steadfastly into the heavens as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, 11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the heavens? This Yeshua, who was received up from you into the heavens, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the heavens.” 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they had come in, they went up into the upper room where they were staying, that is Peter, John, Jacob, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Jacob the son of Halfai, Shimon the Zealot, and Judah the son of Jacob. 14 All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women and Miriam the mother of Yeshua, and with his brothers. 15 In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, 16 “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judah, who was guide to those who took Yeshua. 17 For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this service. 18 Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness; and falling headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines gushed out. 19 It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Hakel-Dema,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ 20 For it is written in the scroll of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell in it;’ (cf. Psalms 69:25) and, ‘Let another take his office.’ (cf. Psalms 109:8) 21 “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Yeshua went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the immersion of John to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” 23 They put forward two: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthiah. 24 They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take part in this service and office of emissary from which Judah fell away, that he might go to his own place.” 26 They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthiah; and he was counted with the Eleven emissaries.

2:1 Now when the day of Shavuot had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 Suddenly there came from the heavens a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the heavens. 6 When this sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8 How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians—we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of Elohim!” 12 They were all amazed and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15 For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17 ‘It will be in the last days, says Elohim, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21 It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (cf. Joel 2:28-32) 22 “Men of Israel, hear these words! Yeshua of Nazareth, a man approved by Elohim to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which Elohim did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, 23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of Elohim, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24 whom Elohim raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope, 27 because you will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. 28 You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your face.’ (cf. Psalms 16:8-11) 29 “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that Elohim had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Messiah to sit on his throne, 31 he foreseeing this, spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah, that his soul wasn’t left in Sheol, and his flesh didn’t see decay. 32 This Yeshuan Elohim raised up, to which we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of Elohim, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear. 34 For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ‘ (cf. Psalms 110:1) 36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that Elohim has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Yeshua whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the emissaries, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be immersed, every one of you, in the name of Yeshua the Messiah for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our Elohim will call to himself.” 40 With many other words he witnessed and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were immersed. There were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 They continued steadfastly in the emissaries’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. 43 Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the emissaries. 44 All who believed were together, and had all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. 46 Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 praising Elohim and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 20:1-16

20:1 After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those parts and had encouraged them with many words, he came into Greece. 3 When he had spent three new moons there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. 4 These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. 5 But these had gone ahead, and were waiting for us at Troas. 6 We sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas in five days, where we stayed seven days. 7 On one of the Sabbaths, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day; and continued his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lights in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 A certain young man named Eutychus sat in the window, weighed down with deep sleep. As Paul spoke still longer, being weighed down by his sleep, he fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead. 10 Paul went down and fell upon him, and embracing him said, “Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11 When he had gone up, had broken bread and eaten, and had talked with them a long while, even until break of day, he departed. 12 They brought the boy in alive, and were greatly comforted. 13 But we, going ahead to the ship, set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there; for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, we came the following day opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium, and the day after we came to Miletus. 16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Shavuot.

1 Corinthians 16:1-9

16:1 Now concerning the collection for the holy ones: as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. 2 On one of the Sabbaths, let each one of you save as he may prosper, that no collections are made when I come. 3 When I arrive, I will send whoever you approve with letters to carry your gracious gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it is appropriate for me to go also, they will go with me. 5 I will come to you when I have passed through Macedonia, for I am passing through Macedonia. 6 But with you it may be that I will stay with you, or even winter with you, that you may send me on my journey wherever I go. 7 For I do not wish to see you now in passing, but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits. 8 But I will stay at Ephesus until Shavuot, 9 for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

Related Additional Readings​

Jubilees 15:1-34

15:1 And in the fifth year of the [third] week of this jubilee, in the third new moon, in the middle of the new moon, Abram celebrated the feast of the first fruits of the grain harvest. 2. And he offered new offerings on the altar, the first fruits of the produce, unto the Lord, an heifer and a goat and a sheep on the altar as a burnt slaughter unto the Lord; their fruit-offerings and their drink-offerings he offered upon the altar with frankincense. 3. And the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him: “I am El Shaddai; approve thyself before Me and be thou perfect. 4. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.” 5. And Abram fell on his face, and Elohim talked with him, and said: 6. “Behold My ordinance is with thee, And thou wilt be the father of many nations. 7. Neither will thy name any more be called Abram, But thy name from henceforth, even for ever, shall be Abraham. For the father of many nations have I made thee. 8. And I shall make thee very great, And I shall make thee into nations, And kings will come forth from thee. 9. And I shall establish My covenant between Me and thee, and thy seed after thee, throughout their generations, for an eternal covenant, so that I may be an Elohim unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 10. (And I shall give to thee and to thy seed after thee) 3 the land where thou hast been a sojourner, the land of Canaan, that thou mayst possess it for ever, and I shall be their Elohim.” 11. And the Lord said unto Abraham: “And as for thee, do thou keep My Covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, and circumcise ye every male among you, and circumcise your foreskins, and it will be a token of an eternal covenant between Me and you. 12. And the child on the eighth day ye will circumcise, every male throughout your generations, him that is born in the house, or whom ye have bought with money from any stranger, whom ye have acquired who is not of thy seed. 13. He that is born in thy house will surely be circumcised, and those whom thou hast bought with money will be circumcised, and My covenant will be in your flesh for an eternal ordinance. 14. And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that soul will be cut off from his people, for he hath broken My covenant.” 15. And Elohim said unto Abraham: “As for Sarai thy woman, her name will no more be called Sarai, but Sarah will be her name. 16. And I shall bless her, and give thee a son by her, and I shall bless him, and he will become a nation, and kings of nations will proceed from him.” 17. And Abraham fell on his face, and rejoiced, and said in his heart: “Will a son be born to him that is a hundred years old, and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bring forth?” 18. And Abraham said unto Elohim: “O that Ishmael might live before thee!” 19. And Elohim said: “Yea, and Sarah also will bear thee a son, and thou wilt call his name Isaac, and I shall establish My covenant with him, an everlasting covenant, and for his seed after him. 20. And as for Ishmael also have I heard thee, and behold I shall bless him, and make him great, and multiply him exceedingly, and he will beget twelve princes, and I shall make him a great nation. 21. But My covenant shall I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to thee, in these days, in the next year.” 22. And He left off speaking with him, and Elohim went up from Abraham. 23. And Abraham did according as Elohim had said unto him, and he took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and whom he had bought with his money, every male in his house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin. 24. And on the bone of this day was Abraham circumcised, and all the men of his house, (and those born in the house), and all those, whom he had bought with money from the children of the stranger, were circumcised with him. 25. This law is for all the generations for ever, and there is no circumcision of the days, and no omission of one day out of the eight days; for it is an eternal ordinance, ordained and written on the heavenly tables. 26. And every one that is born, the flesh of whose foreskin is not circumcised on the eighth day, belongeth not to the children of the covenant which the Lord made with Abraham, but to the children of destruction; nor is there, moreover, any sign on him that he is the Lord’s, but (he is destined) to be destroyed and slain from the land, and to be rooted out of the land, for he hath broken the covenant of the Lord our Elohim. 27. For all the angels of the face and all the angels of sanctification have been so created from the day of their creation, and before the angels of the face and the angels of sanctification He hath sanctified Israel, that they should be with Him and with His holy angels. 28. And do thou command the sons of Israel and let them observe the sign of this covenant for their generations as an eternal ordinance, and they will not be rooted out of the land. 29. For the command is ordained for a covenant, that they should observe it for ever among all the sons of Israel. 30. For Ishmael and his sons and his brothers and Esau, the Lord did not cause to approach Him, and he chose them not because they are the children of Abraham, because He knew them, but He chose Israel to be His people. 31. And He sanctified it, and gathered it from amongst all the children of men; for there are many nations and many peoples, and all are His, and over all hath He placed spirits in authority to lead them astray from Him. 32. But over Israel He did not appoint any angel or spirit, for He alone is their ruler, and He will preserve them and require them at the hand of His angels and His spirits, and at the hand of all His powers in order that He may preserve them and bless them, and that they may be His and He may be theirs from henceforth for ever. 33. And now I announce unto thee that the sons of Israel will not keep true to this ordinance, and they will not circumcise their sons according to all this law; for in the flesh of their circumcision they will omit this circumcision of their sons, and all of them, sons of Beliar, will leave their sons uncircumcised as they were born. 34. And there will be great wrath from the Lord against the sons of Israel, because they have forsaken His covenant and turned aside from His word, and provoked and blasphemed, inasmuch as they do not observe the ordinance of this law; for they have treated their members like the Nations, so that they may be removed and rooted out of the land. And there will no more be pardon or forgiveness unto them [so that there should be forgiveness and pardon] for all the sin of this eternal error.

Jubilees 22:1-9

22:1 And it came to pass in the †first† week in the †forty-fourth† jubilee, in the †second† year, that is, the year in which Abraham died, that Isaac and Ishmael came from the Well of the Oath to celebrate the feast of weeks–that is, the feast of the first fruits of the harvest–to Abraham, their father, and Abraham rejoiced because his two sons had come. 2. For Isaac had many possessions in Be’ersheba, and Isaac was wont to go and see his possessions and to return to his father. 3. And in those days Ishmael came to see his father, and they both came together, and Isaac offered a slaughter for a burnt offering, and presented it on the altar of his father which he had made in Hebron. 4. And he offered a thank offering and made a feast of joy before Ishmael, his brother: and Rebecca made new cakes from the new grain, and gave them to Jacob, her son, to take them to Abraham, his father, from the first fruits of the land, that he might eat and bless the Creator of all things before he died. 5. And Isaac, too, sent by the hand of Jacob to Abraham a best thank offering, that he might eat and drink. 6. And he ate and drank, and blessed the Most High Elohim, Who hath created the heavens and land, Who hath made all the fat things of the land, And given them to the children of men That they might eat and drink and bless their Creator. 7. “And now I give thanks unto Thee, my Elohim, because Thou hast caused me to see this day: behold, I am one hundred three score and fifteen years, a bearded man and full of days, and all my days have been unto me peace. 8. The sword of the adversary hath not overcome me in all that Thou hast given me and my children all the days of my life until this day. 9. My Elohim, may Thy mercy and Thy peace be upon Thy servant, and upon the seed of his sons, that they may be to Thee a chosen nation and an inheritance from amongst all the nations of the land from henceforth unto all the days of the generations of the land, unto all the ages.”

Josephus was born Joseph ben Mattathias in 37 AD in Jerusalem of a priestly and royal family. He excelled in his studies of Jewish law and studied with the Sadducees, Pharisees, and the Essenes, eventually aligning himself with the Pharisees. In 62 AD he went to Rome to free some imprisoned priests. After accomplishing this mission through the intercession of Nero’s wife, Poppaea, he returned to Jerusalem in 65 AD to find the country in revolt against Rome. Josephus shrewdly reinterpreted the Messianic prophecies. He predicted that Vespasian would become the ruler of the ‘entire world’. His prophecy became true in 68 AD when Nero committed suicide and Vespasian became Ceasar. As a result, Josephus was freed; he moved to Rome and became a Roman citizen, taking the Vespasian family name Flavius. Vespasian commissioned Josephus to write a history of the war, which he finished in 78 AD, the Jewish War. His second major work, the Antiquities of the Jews, was completed in 93 AD. The extant manuscripts of the book Antiquities of the Jews contain two references to Yeshua of Nazareth (18.3.3. and 20.9.1.) and one reference to the imprisonment and death of John the Baptist (18.5.2.).

3.10.5. In the new moon of Xanthicus, which is by us called Nisan, and is the beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar new moon, when the sun is in Aries, [for in this new moon it was that we were delivered from bondage under the Egyptians,] the law ordained that we should every year slay that slaughter which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which was called the Pesach; and so we do celebrate this passover in companies, leaving nothing of what we slaughter till the day following. The feast of unleavened bread succeeds that of the passover, and falls on the fifteenth day of the new moon, and continues seven days, wherein they feed on unleavened bread; on every one of which days two bulls are killed, and one ram, and seven lambs. Now these lambs are entirely burnt, besides the kid of the goats which is added to all the rest, for sins; for it is intended as a feast for the priest on every one of those days. But on the second day of unleavened bread, which is the sixteenth day of the new moon, they first partake of the fruits of the land, for before that day they do not touch them. And while they suppose it proper to honor Elohim, from whom they obtain this plentiful provision, in the first place, they offer the first fruits of their barley, and that in the manner following: They take a handful of the ears, and dry them, then beat them small, and purge the barley from the bran; they then bring one tenth deal to the altar, to Elohim; and, casting one handful of it upon the fire, they leave the rest for the use of the priest. And after this it is that they may publicly or privately reap their harvest. They also at this participation of the first fruits of the land, slaughter a lamb, as a burnt-offering to Elohim.

3.10.6. When a week of weeks has passed over after this slaughter, [which weeks contain forty and nine days,] on the fiftieth day, which is Pentecost, but is called by the Hebrews Asartha, which signifies Pentecost, they bring to Elohim a loaf, made of wheat flour, of two tenth deals, with leaven; and for slaughters they bring two lambs; and when they have only presented them to Elohim, they are made ready for supper for the priests; nor is it permitted to leave any thing of them till the day following. They also slay three bullocks for a burnt-offering, and two rams; and fourteen lambs, with two kids of the goats, for sins; nor is there anyone of the festivals but in it they offer burnt-offerings; they also allow themselves to rest on every one of them. Accordingly, the law prescribes in them all what kinds they are to slaughter, and how they are to rest entirely, and must slay slaughters, in order to feast upon them.

3.10.7. However, out of the common charges, baked bread [was set on the table of shew-bread], without leaven, of twenty-four tenth deals of flour, for so much is spent upon this bread; two heaps of these were baked, they were baked the day before the sabbath, but were brought into the holy place on the morning of the sabbath, and set upon the holy table, six on a heap, one loaf still standing over against another; where two golden cups full of frankincense were also set upon them, and there they remained till another sabbath, and then other loaves were brought in their stead, while the loaves were given to the priests for their food, and the frankincense was burnt in that sacred fire wherein all their offerings were burnt also; and so other frankincense was set upon the loaves instead of what was there before. The high priest also, of his own charges, offered a slaughter, and that twice every day. It was made of flour mingled with oil, and gently baked by the fire; the quantity was one tenth deal of flour; he brought the half of it to the fire in the morning, and the other half at night. The account of these slaughters I shall give more accurately hereafter; but I think I have premised what for the present may be sufficient concerning them.