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Shavout or Pentecost?
#2
Shlama Akhi Otto,

The simple answer is this: PENTECOST is a targum that is meant to shed light on how to keep Shavuot. 2000 years ago there were two competing visions as to how to do this. The Pharisaic (and later Rabbinic) model was the majority view by far (confirmed by Josephus even and Y'shua who followed Pharisaic timing), said that the weeks had to be complete from 16 Nisan (the morrow after the [Annual] Shabbat that is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Nisan 15). They interpret Shavuot as COMPLETE WEEKS, the omer count then ending exactly 50 days later. In order to aid the faithful, especially Gentile converts, translations of Tanakh such as the LXX began using PENTECOST--meaning "50 days"--to let their readership know the 50-day model was the correct interpretation.

The competing model of course was that of Sauduccees and later the Karaites. They insisted that it was SHABBATS, not WEEKS, that were counted, and that the count was keyed from the next WEEKLY Shabbat, not the Annual. By this model, Shavuot would always have to fall on a Sunday, but in the year of Y'shua's crucifixion BOTH models got us to Sunday Shavuot.

For me, again, Y'shua's decision here is the deciding factor. And yes, this is a loan word too from the Greek, but also a clarifying targumic term to help the Gentile believers, including the person Luke is writing to, Theophilus (aka Tawpeela). Because his Gospel and Acts are initially written to one Gentile person, Luke shows the opposite trending of say Matti, who wrote for the Jews. That is also why Luke, for example, uses EUCAHRISTA, which indicates any bread--leavened or unleavened--that is used in connection with sacred service or thanksgiving.

So all the reasons we usually give for loan words apply here--reflecting linguistic exchanges between conquering Rome and subjugated Israel and so on--but there are additional mechanisms in this case also at work.

Hope this helps!

Shlama w'burkate
Andrew Gabriel Roth
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Messages In This Thread
Shavout or Pentecost? - by ograabe - 05-04-2008, 05:50 AM
Re: Shavout or Pentecost? - by Andrew Gabriel Roth - 05-04-2008, 03:24 PM
Re: Shavout or Pentecost? - by ograabe - 05-04-2008, 07:21 PM
Re: Shavout or Pentecost? - by ograabe - 05-04-2008, 08:30 PM

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