Add to ORKGThere is a holy festival commanded in the Bible yet barely described, a sacred week which most in the world know nothing about, though many Jews and some Christians celebrate it still. It is the longest and the most joyous of the festivals outlined in the Torah, and it was for centuries considered the greatest (Schauss 170). It was called variously ‘‘the Festival” or “God’s Festival”, for it played a greater role in people’s lives than any other (171). Yet its origins are unclear. Some historians believe it began as a Canaanite fertility festival, and that it was adopted and adapted by the Israelites when they entered Canaan. One Jewish tradition holds that Jacob initiated this festival when he made a special sacrifice to Yahweh. Other scho...