Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is one of the three great pilgrimage festivals of Judaism, celebrated in autumn. It commemorates both the divine protection during the Exodus and the end of the annual agricultural cycle.
Origin and meaning
Hebrew name: Hag HaSukkot (חַג הַסֻּכּוֹת), literally “feast of booths” or “of huts.”
Duration: 7 days in Israel (8 in the diaspora), starting on 15 Tishri (September–October).
Double meaning:
Historical : recalls the 40 years of wandering of the Israelites in the desert, living in temporary shelters (Sukkot).
Agricultural: festival of the harvest (Hag HaAsif), marking the end of the agricultural year and thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth.
Practices and rituals
The Sukkah: a booth built with simple walls and a roof of foliage (s’chach) through which the stars can be seen. Meals (and sometimes sleep) are taken in the sukkah to remember fragility and dependence on God.
The Four Species (Arba Minim): Lulav (palm branch), Etrog (citrus fruit resembling a lemon), Hadass (myrtle), Aravah (willow). These plants are shaken in six directions (north, south, east, west, up, down) to symbolize divine sovereignty over all creation.
Hoshana Rabbah: the 7th day, marked by special prayers and processions.
Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah: festivals that immediately follow Sukkot, celebrating the conclusion and the new beginning of the annual reading of the Torah.
Spiritual dimension
Sukkot is called Zeman Simchatenu (“the time of our rejoicing”). It is a joyful festival that emphasizes gratitude, trust in God and the unity of the people.
The sukkah recalls human frailty and divine protection, while the Four Species symbolize the diversity of individuals within the Jewish people, all necessary to unity.
Link with the New Testament
In the Gospel of John (chapters 7–9), Jesus goes to Jerusalem for Sukkot. The ceremonies of light and water of the festival serve as the backdrop to his words:
“I am the light of the world” (John 8.12).
The healing of the man born blind (John 9.1-34) illustrates this claim, in direct connection with the theme of light celebrated at Sukkot.
In summary, Sukkot is a festival of joy, memory and gratitude, which links the history of Israel, nature and faith. It lies at the heart of the biblical symbolism of light and divine protection.
We would remind you that, according to our research, we have established the birth of Messiah Jesus at this festival, and more precisely on October 12, 2 BC.
If the birth of Jesus took place at Sukkot, as we have demonstrated, this gives immense theological depth: the Feast of Tabernacles becomes the moment when God “pitches his tent” in humanity through Jesus.