Pentecost (
Ancient Greek pe?t???st? [
?µ??a], pentekoste [hemera], "the fiftieth day") is one of the prominent feasts in the
Christian liturgical year, celebrated the 49th day (7 weeks) after
Easter Sunday—or the 50th day, inclusively, whence its name is derived from the Greek. Pentecost falls on the tenth day after
Ascension Thursday. Historically and symbolically related to the Jewish
harvest festival of
Shavuot, it commemorates the descent of the
Holy Spirit upon the
Apostles and other followers of
Jesus as described in the
Book of Acts, Chapter
2. Pentecost is also called
Whitsun,
Whitsunday, or
Whit Sunday, especially in the
United Kingdom.
And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete/ Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbaths shall ye number fifty days (Hebrew hamishshim yom; Greek pe?t????ta ?µ??a?, pentekonta hemeras) and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
The "new dairy offering" consisted of two loaves made from the new wheat (to be waved). Sacrifices for the feast consisted of "seven lambs without blemish of the first year", one young bullock, two rams (this is the burnt offering), the sacrifice of "one kid of the goats for a sin offering", and "two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings". This hamishshim yom or pentekonta hemeras marked the end of the harvest. On the other hand, Deuteronomy (168-10) states
Six days thou shall not eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God thou shalt do no work therein./ Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee begin to number seven weeks from such time as thou beginest to put the sickle unto the corn./ And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks [Hebrew Chag shavuot; Greek ???t?? ?ßd?µ?d??, heorten hebdomadon] unto the Lord thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.
