Re: Bibliography

In message <19990327.212701.9510.6.draqonfayir@...>, Steg Belsky
<draqonfayir@...> writes
>On Sat, 27 Mar 1999 08:06:09 +0100 Boudewijn Rempt
><bsarempt@...> writes:
>>On Fri, 26 Mar 1999, Adam Walker wrote:
>>
>>> >The grammars are still in preparation, and for all
>>> >I know, will remain in preparation until Easter and
>>> >Pentecost fall on the same day...
>
>As far as i know, isn't Pentecost the English name for the Jewish holiday
>of Shavu`ot?
>What would be so weird about Easter and Shavu`ot (which happens to be 2
>days outside of Israel) falling out on the same day?  They do go by
>different calendars, afterall...
In the Christian calendar, Pentecost was the day when the Holy Spirit
descended on Jesus's disciples (see Acts, chap 2), after his ascension
into heaven.  It falls on the seventh Sunday after Easter, the fiftieth
day, in other words, hence the name.  The usual English name is Whit
Sunday.  My grandmother always called Whitsuntide.

But my dictionary says it's also the Hellenistic name for Shavu'ot, I
suppose because it happens fifty days after Pesahh, doesn't it?

>Although Easter always seems to come out around Pesahh...
Well, yes.  Jesus was crucified on the Friday after the Thursday of
Pesahh.  The Last Supper on the day before was a seder.  He was
resurrected on the Sunday.  But since then the calculation of the date
of Easter must have drifted away from Pesahh.  And the Eastern and
Western churches do it differently, just for added complication.

--
John Fisher   john@drummond.demon.co.uk   johnf@epcc.ed.ac.uk
Elet Anta website: http://www.drummond.demon.co.uk/anta/
Drummond ro cleshfan merec; fanye litoc, inye litoc