Festival Offerings

(Book of Numbers 28:16 - 29:40)
"On the 14th day of the first month, Nisan, Jehovah's Passover is to be observed.  On the 15th day of the month a festival is to be held and for the next 7 days only unleavened bread is to be eaten.  On the first day a a sacred assembly will be held and no regular work is to be done.  You should make a burnt offering to Jehovah consisting of two young bulls, one ram, and 7 male yearling lambs, all without defect, accompanied by a grain offering of the finest flour mixed with oil -- three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, and one-tenth of an ephah for each lamb.  Also, there should be sacrificed a male goat as a sin offering to make your atonement.  These sacrifices should be made in addition to the regular morning burnt offering.  For 7 days these sacrifices should be made so that the food of the burnt offerings will create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah.  They should be presented in addition to the regular burnt offerings and the accompanying drink offerings.  On the 7th day a sacred assembly will be held with no occupational work done.

"On the day of the Harvest Festival, when you present to Jehovah an offering from the first harvest of grain, hold a sacred assemble and refrain from all occupational work.  Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, a ram, and 7 male yearling lambs to create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah.  Accompanying each burnt offering there should be a grain offering of the finest flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, and one-tenth of an ephah for each lamb.  In addition, a male goat should be sacrificed as a sin offering to make atonement.  Present these burnt offerings along with their accompanying drink offerings in addition to the regular burnt and grain offerings.  Take care that all the animals have no defects!

"On the 1st day of the 7th month, Tishri, you should hold a sacred assemble and do no occupational work.  This is a day for you to sound trumpets!  To create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah, make a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and 7 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  An accompanying grain offering of the finest flour mixed with oil should consist of three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, and one-tenth of an ephah for each lamb.  To make atonement for you, include a sin offering of one male goat.  This is in addition to the monthly burnt offering and the accompanying grain offering, as well as the daily burnt offering with its prescribed grain and drink offerings.  These food offerings will create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah.

"Ten days later, on the 10th day of the same month you must convene another sacred assembly.  You must fast and refrain from any occupational work.  Present a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and 7 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  With the bull include a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour mixed with oil, with the ram two-tenths of an ephah, and with the lambs, one-tenth of an ephah.  You must sacrifice as a sin offering one male goat.  This is in addition to the regular sin offering made for atonement and the daily burnt offering with the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"Five days later, on the 10th of the same month you must convene another sacred assembly.  You must fast and refrain from occupational work. Present a burnt offering that will create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah, one young bull, one ram, and 7 male yearling lambs, all without defects.  Accompanying these offerings should be the prescribed grain offerings, consisting of the finest flour mixed with olive oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths of an ephah for the ram, and one-tenth of an ephah for each lamb.  Also there should be a sin offering of a goat, in addition to the sin offering of atonement and the regular burnt offerings with the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"On the 15th day of the 7th month convene a sacred assembly and do no occupational work.  During the next 7 days celebrate a festival to Jehovah.  To create an aroma pleasing to him, present burnt offerings consisting of 13 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male yearling lambs, all without blemish, along with a grain offering of the finest flour mixed with oil, three-tenths of an ephah for each of the bulls, two-tenths of an ephah for each of the rams, and one-tenth of an ephah for each of the lambs.  Also, there should be a male goat as a sin offering.  These are in addition to the regular burnt offering and the accompanying grain and drink offering.

"On the 2nd day sacrifice 12 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  With the bulls, rams, and lambs make the prescribed grain and drink offerings.  A male goat should also be sacrificed as a sin offering.  These are in addition to the regular burnt offering and the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"On the 3rd day sacrifice 11 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  With the bulls, rams, and lambs make the prescribed grain and drink offerings.  A male goat should also be sacrificed as a sin offering.  These are in addition to the regular burnt offering and the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"On the 4th day sacrifice 10 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  With the bulls, rams, and lambs make the prescribed grain and drink offerings.  A male goat should also be sacrificed as a sin offering.  These are in addition to the regular burnt offering and the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"On the 5th day sacrifice 9 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  With the bulls, rams, and lambs make the prescribed grain and drink offerings.  A male goat should also be sacrificed as a sin offering.  These are in addition to the regular burnt offering and the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"On the 6th day sacrifice 8 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  With the bulls, rams, and lambs make the prescribed grain and drink offerings.  A male goat should also be sacrificed as a sin offering.  These are in addition to the regular burnt offering and the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"On the 7th day sacrifice 7 young bulls, 2 rams, and 14 male yearling lambs, all without defect.  With the bulls, rams, and lambs make the prescribed grain and drink offerings.  A male goat should also be sacrificed as a sin offering.  These are in addition to the regular burnt offering and the accompanying grain and drink offerings.

"On the 8th day conclude by convening a sacred assembly and refraining from occupational work.  To create an aroma pleasing to Jehovah present a burnt offering consisting of one young bull, one ram, and 7 male yearling lambs, all with no defects.  Each sacrifice should be accompanied by the prescribed grain and drink offerings.  And you must sacrifice a male goat as a sin offering, this in addition to the regular burnt offering and its accompanying grain and drink offering.

"You must make these offerings to Jehovah at the yearly festivals.  These sacrifices, burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and peace offerings, are in addition to the votive and voluntary offering you may make."

Moses conveyed to the Israelites all that he had been commanded by Jehovah.

Notes
1. The impression is given that holidays to the Israelites were mostly about the slaughter of animals, the primary means of divine worship.

2.  The festivals mentioned here are referred to in Leviticus, the 23rd chapter, "Festivals to be Observed."  Passover, on the 14th of Nisan, occurs in spring, as is well known.  The Harvest Festival (Festival of Weeks, Feast of Pentecost, or Shabuoth) occurred when the first crops were harvested and samples of them sacrificed to Jehovah.  The blowing of trumpets on the 1st of Tishri in early autumn celebrated what is now known as Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  (Tishri is the 7th month of the Hebrew religious calendar, but the 1st month of the civil calendar.)  On the 10th of Tishri was and is the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.  The 15th of Tishri is the beginning of the Festival of Tabernacles (or Festival of Booths, originally Festival of Ingathering or Festival of the Final Harvest and is generally now known as Sukkot or Succoth).

3. An ephah is a unit of dry measure equal to about 19 U.S. dry quarts or 69 cups (as those used in cooking).  Therefore one tenth of an ephah is about 7 cups, two tenths is a little less than 14 cups, three tenths, 21 cups.  Many different values are given for the ephah, but this seems the most likely.