The Commemoration of War in Early Jewish Festivals

Jewish festivals enshrine memories of the past in ways that fit the changing dynamics and needs of Jewish communities. While most of the festivals noted in the Hebrew Bible originated as agricultural celebrations, they were eventually invested with historical associations by the biblical authors. The festival of Passover, for example, most likely originated as a spring festival, but gained additional meaning as the historical commemoration of the exodus from Egypt. During the Hellenistic period (ca. 323–31 B.C.E), an additional commemorative dimension was assigned to certain Jewish festivals remembering important military victories in Judea, thereby giving war a new prominence in Jewish ritual practice