The Feast of Weeks, also known as the Festival of Weeks or Shavuot in Hebrew, is one of the three major pilgrimage festivals ordained in the Bible. Along with Passover and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), it was one the annual festivals that all Israelite men were commanded to celebrate in Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17).
The Feast of Weeks is closely associated with the grain harvest in Israel. In fact, its Hebrew name Shavuot means “weeks,” referring to the seven weeks that were counted from the offering of the barley sheaf during Passover until the offering of the first fruits of the wheat harvest at Shavuot (Deuteronomy 16:9-10). While Passover celebrates the beginning of the barley harvest in the spring, Shavuot marks its culmination fifty days later with the end of the wheat harvest in late May or early June.
In addition to its agricultural significance, Shavuot also commemorates the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. Although the Bible does not explicitly make this connection, later Jewish tradition associated Shavuot with the revelation at Sinai. Just as the Israelites left Egypt during Passover and then traveled through the wilderness for fifty days before arriving at Sinai, so too the fifty days between the barley harvest at Passover and the wheat harvest at Shavuot symbolize the spiritual journey from the redemption of the Exodus to the acceptance of the Torah and covenant with God.
Biblical References
The Feast of Weeks is first mentioned in the Old Testament in Exodus 23:16: “You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field.” The term “Feast of Harvest” refers to Shavuot’s connection to the wheat harvest. The feast is later described in more detail in Exodus 34:22, Leviticus 23:15-22, Numbers 28:26-31, and Deuteronomy 16:9-12.
These passages establish Shavuot fifty days after the Sabbath of Passover week and instruct the Israelites to offer first fruits and new grain offerings at this time. As an annual pilgrimage festival, all Israelite men were required to travel to the central sanctuary in Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot. The offerings brought and ceremonies performed at Shavuot are outlined in detail in these Torah passages.
Later books of the Bible, including 2 Chronicles 8:13 and Ezekiel 45:18-25, reaffirm Shavuot as one of the major festivals of the Jewish religious calendar. While the Torah prescribes the offerings and rituals for Shavuot, the holiday is not directly associated with the giving of the Law until later Jewish writings like the Book of Jubilees.
Origins and Development
The origins of Shavuot as an agricultural festival are evident in its biblical name, the Feast of Weeks, which highlights the connection between the barley and wheat harvests. Ancient peoples often marked the turning of the seasons with religious festivals tied to events like planting and harvest. As a spring/summer harvest festival, Shavuot had parallels in other Near Eastern cultures, including a similar mid-year festival among the Ugaritic people.
Over time, Shavuot evolved from a seasonal harvest holiday into a commemoration of the covenant at Sinai. This began during the Second Temple period, when the holiday became linked to the biblical account of the Israelites’ arrival at Mount Sinai seven weeks after the Exodus. By the first century AD, the book of Jubilees and other Jewish writings definitively associated Shavuot with the giving of the Law. Rabbis emphasized the covenant aspect of the holiday, which remains central to its observance today.
In the centuries after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, Shavuot continued to develop in Jewish tradition. With the loss of sacrificial worship, Jewish religious practice shifted towards prayer, study, and good deeds. Shavuot became characterized by all-night Torah study sessions, commemorating the Israelites waiting all night to receive the Ten Commandments. Customs like dairy meals, candle lighting, and decorating homes and synagogues with greens also became associated with Shavuot during this period.
Shavuot in the Bible
The Feast of Weeks is referred to as such in Exodus 23:16 and 34:22, highlighting its connection to the harvest season. These passages instruct the Israelites to offer first fruits of the wheat harvest on this day. The grain offerings consisted of two loaves of leavened bread baked from the new wheat crop (Leviticus 23:15-17).
In Leviticus 23, Numbers 28, and Deuteronomy 16, the holiday is called Shavuot (meaning “weeks” in Hebrew). These passages establish the date as seven weeks after Passover and again describe offerings of first fruits and new grain. Israelites were forbidden from eating any bread or parched grain from the wheat harvest until these first fruit offerings were made at Shavuot (Joshua 5:11-12).
As one of the major pilgrimage festivals, Shavuot, along with Passover and Sukkot, was a time for Israelites to gather in Jerusalem for celebration and covenant renewal. King Solomon offered sacrifices during all three pilgrimage feasts during the dedication of the First Temple (1 Kings 9:25). Later, King Hezekiah and Josiah reinstituted proper observance of Passover and Shavuot (2 Chronicles 30; 35:1-19).
While the Torah outlines the agricultural and ritual aspects central to Shavuot, it does not make an explicit connection between Shavuot and the giving of the Law at Sinai. However, Jewish tradition views the fifty days between Passover and Shavuot as a period encompassing both physical and spiritual redemption – from Exodus to Sinai.
Traditions and Customs
Shavuot is celebrated over two days, beginning at sunset on the 6th of Sivan in the Hebrew calendar.extended to accommodate those who had to travel long distances on foot in ancient times to reach the Temple in Jerusalem for pilgrimage festivals.
A central part of Shavuot observance is the counting of the Omer, which begins on the second night of Passover. The Omer count tracks the fifty days to Shavuot and traditionally served as a period of spiritual preparation for receiving the Law. Each day corresponds to one of the sephirot, attributes through which God is revealed.
Another important Shavuot tradition is studying Torah all night on the first night of the holiday. This practice commemorates the Israelites waiting through the night for Moses to descend Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. Synagogues hold marathon Torah study sessions and many Jewish people stay up all night reading and discussing Torah.
It is also customary to eat dairy meals during Shavuot, reflecting the Jewish tradition that the Israelites did not yet have kosher meat prior to receiving the Law. Popular dairy dishes include cheesecake and blintzes. Homes and synagogues are decorated with flowers and greens. Candles are also lit to represent the light of Torah.
Meaning and Themes
As an agricultural festival, Shavuot celebrates the wheat harvest and the goodness of the land God provided for Israel. The first fruit offerings acknowledge God’s provision and express gratitude for a successful harvest. Shavuot also marks the culmination of the barley and wheat harvests that frame the festival period from Passover to Shavuot.
In Jewish tradition, Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after the Exodus from Egypt. The covenant between God and Israel established through the Law is considered a spiritual rebirth paralleling the physical redemption from slavery in Egypt. Shavuot is a celebration and renewal of the relationship forged at Sinai.
Shavuot also highlights the link between Passover and the revelation at Sinai. Just as the Exodus represents physical freedom from oppression, the giving of the Law represents spiritual freedom through knowledge of God’s truth. This connection is emphasized in the counting of the Omer bridging these two holidays.
The themes of Shavuot – harvest, gratitude, covenant, and divine revelation – have inspired Jewish tradition, identity, and ethics for over 3,000 years. Shavuot continues to be joyously celebrated by Jewish people today as it has been for millennia.