Jewish Ceremonies during the Feast of Booths

Some time after the Second Temple was built, Jews in Jerusalem began to perform ceremonies as part of the Feast of Booths: a water-pouring ceremony and a lamp-lighting ceremony. These ceremonies are not found in the Bible, since they were not commanded by God. Rather, they can be found in traditional Jewish books like the Mishnah, which was produced during the second century CE.

The Water-pouring Ceremony

The Mishnah describes the water-pouring ceremony:

The pouring of water, how was it done? A priest filled a golden jug with three lugim of water from the Pool of Siloam. When they reached the Gate of Water, they sounded a teqiah, then sounded a teruah, then sounded a teqiah. The priest went up the ramp and turned left. … Rabbi Judah said: For all eight days, the priest would pour the water into a container that had a capacity of one log. … People said that if a person did not see the rejoicing of the House of Drawing, then he has not seen rejoicing in his days.

— Mishnah Sukkāh 4:9; 5:1.

On each morning of the Feast of Booths, a priest would draw out water with a jug from the Pool of Siloam. He would carry that jug of water to the Temple area, and go up by a ramp onto a raised platform. Then, he would pour the water from the jug into a smaller container. Apparently, this ceremony was an event of great rejoicing for the people.

The Jerusalem Talmud contains an explanation for the significance of the water-pouring ceremony:

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: Why was that place called the House of Drawing? Because from that place, they drew out the Holy Spirit, based on the Scripture, “You shall draw out water with gladness from the wells of salvation.” (Isa. 12:3)

— Jerusalem Talmud, Sukkāh 5:2–3.

This reflects the view of at least some Jews that when the priest drew out water from the Pool of Siloam during the water-pouring ceremony, it symbolized drawing out the Holy Spirit.

The Lamp-lighting Ceremony

Next, the Mishnah describes the lamp-lighting ceremony:

There were golden lampstands there, with four golden basins at their heads. There were also four ladders, one for each basin. There were also four children from among the priesthood trainees, and in their hands were jugs of oil. Each jug had a capacity of 120 lugim. They poured the oil into every basin. They tore strips from the tattered clothes of the priests and from their belts, and lit the lampstands with the strips. There was not a courtyard in Jerusalem that was not lighted up from the light of the House of Drawing.

— Mishnah Sukkāh 5:2–3.

In preparation for the Feast of Booths, the Jews would set up golden lampstands in the Temple area. On each night of the Feast of Booths, the priests and their priesthood trainees would light up the golden lampstands. The lights from the lampstands were so bright that the Mishnah’s author remarked that every courtyard in Jerusalem was lighted up.

Jesus’ Sayings during the Feast of Booths

It is not known for sure whether these ceremonies were being performed during the time of Jesus. Yet, it is interesting to consider them in relation to some things that Jesus said.

John 7:37–39 says,

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. ₃₈ Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” ₃₉ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (ESV)

Jesus spoke this saying during the last day of the Feast of Booths (vv. 2, 37). If indeed these ceremonies were being performed during Jesus’ time, then the mention of water in this saying might have alluded to the water-pouring ceremony. Interestingly, the Apostle John commented that he spoke this saying about the Holy Spirit (v. 39), which is the same significance that the Jews gave to the water-pouring ceremony!

According to the original text of the Gospel of John, the next thing that Jesus said during this Feast of Booths is found in John 8:12:

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (ESV)

The mention of “light” in this second saying might have alluded to the lamp-lighting ceremony. Interestingly, in the other passage where Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” he sent a blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam (9:5–7), which was the same place where water was drawn out from for the water-pouring ceremony!

Conclusion

Whether or not Jesus approved of these non-biblical ceremonies, his sayings during the Feast of Booths would have been a message to the Jews: Instead of rejoicing at the drawing and pouring of water, they should believe in him so that their thirst would be quenched, and living water would flow out from them; and instead of wondering at the brightness of the lampstands’ lights, they should follow him as the light of the world.