The Lily Among the Thorns

Why this title - "The Lily among the Thorns"? It's from Song of Songs (Solomon) 2:2. In spite of  Israel been intolerably abused, harshly treated by the enemies of their times, the love and the presence of God never left them alone. As one Rabbi puts it, "Just as a lily, when it is situated among the thorns, a north wind blows and tilts it and the thorn pierces it, a south wind blows and tilts it and a thorn pierces it, a west wind blows and tilts it and a thorn pierces it, and so with the four directions…” So, it was with the people of Israel. As like, the women in the time of Jesus were so oppressed by the Jewish law (oral), that their condition was so piteous. Jesus came in the midst of this and the way he handled every situation he came across, is pedagogical. The emancipated diffuse the pleasing aroma of the forgiveness and the love of God. As John puts it in his Gospel, "the the whole world is not enough to record the things that the Lord has done" (John 21:25). Out of those innumerous, I tried to meditate on two of the incidents. In this process I took help of few study materials and tried to put the gist in writing. Hope as you engage in reading this article, it will elucidate my intention in writing this.

I like to bring before you two texts from the Gospel of John, one from 4:2-42, Conversation Between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, and the other from 8:2-11, How Jesus Dealt With the Woman Caught in Adultery. 

As we all are aware that Samaritans who are less important compared with Jews, lived in this part of Samaria when the Jews had gone into Babylonian exile. Assyria conquered the Northern Israel in BC 722 and deported many of its people and replacing them with pagans. They acknowledged only the five books of Moses, the Pentateuch as inspired word of God and mount Gerizim as their holy site. Apart from these I don't want to go into much details about it. 

The Scenario (The Samaritan Woman):

Coming to our text, in Matthew 10:5, though Jesus commanded His disciples not to go to the land of Samari, in John 4:4 we read that, "He (Jesus) had to travel through Samaria". This is the direct route to travel to and fro from Jerusalem (Judea) to Galilee. But strict Jews who are afraid of the defilement bypass Samaria by taking a longer route. Rabbis consider Samaritans to be in a continual state of uncleanness. "One (main road) led…from Jerusalem past Bethany to Jericho, then north up the Jordan Valley and the west side of the Sea of Galilee toward Capernaum (see the map above). To avoid Samaria, whose inhabitants the Jews despised, Jews often traveled this road in going between Galilee and Judea" (page 47, A Survey of the New Testament, Zondervan, 2012). But the shorter route helps travellers by cutting off a week days journey on foot. In the "Life of Flavius Josephus", on part 269, he writes, "..it was absolutely necessary for those that go quickly (to Jerusalem) to pass through that country (Samaria); for in that road you may, in three days time go from Galilee to Jerusalem". 

“It was the custom of the Galileans, when they came to the holy city (Jerusalem) at the time of the festivals, to take their journeys through the country of the Samaritans" (Antiquities 20:118). Jesus left Judea and was travelling to Galilee. In John 2:13, Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. Probably Jesus would have stayed in Jerusalem for the following festival of Pentecost, which is being celebrated after forty nine days. Leviticus 23:15 reads that after seven weeks, which is the fiftieth day is Pentecost celebrated. By this time the summer might has started in this region, and people start to show the effects of it, so was Jesus' thirst and tiredness too. Jesus is in the town of Sychar, near a property, a well that belonged to Jacob, the patriarch. Archaeologists suppose that modern day Askar near ancient Shechem is the place what today is. As Jesus was thirsty, He asks the woman who was drawing water from the well to give some to drink. After a little conversation, Jesus sends the woman to bring her husband, though she denies of having a husband. Jesus knew that she had five husbands (Gk "pente anēr") and the man who now is, is not her (your) husband. Though unlikely some interpreters say that the five husbands are those from the five sects of people that the Assyrian king brought from Babylon to settle in Samaria (2Kings 17:24). Then who is the sixth husband? Rabbi Jose ben Halapta (AD 150) inferring on Ezra 4:9,10 includes them (...Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa and the other people..., NIV) to the five and making the total number to nine sects that were brought by the king to Samaria. "Jewish Women Archive", on their website on "Samaritan sect" writes, "Marriage to a wife’s sister or to a husband’s brother is forbidden, since Samaritans interpret Leviticus 18:16 as forbidding such marriages and they interpret Deuteronomy 25:5-10 as referring to one born of the same family though not of the same parent. Thus, the theory of Levirate marriage differs from that of Rabbinic Jews....". Why did she marry five times then? It might be that she was divorced (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) or her past husband(s) would have died and she needed to have one at present (1Corinthians 7:39). The Greek word "anēr", mean "husband" as well as "man". If he is her husband, then how many times can a woman marry? Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 64B, reads, "if a woman was married to the first and he died, to a second and he died, she may not marry a third." Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel (AD 140) said, "she may marry a third man but not a fourth". In Matthew 22:23-32, we see Sadducees who don't believe in the resurrection, question Jesus about a woman married seven times. Here we need to understand that the Sadducees don't know about the law followed by the Pharisees and asking an ignorant question. As a woman having a relationship with five "men" is already defied the law and now she is having one with another "man" is in an illicit relationship, which is punishable under both Samaritan and Jewish laws. The people of Sychar might know about this woman's behaviour of having five illicit relationships, but they might not know about her present secret relationship that she is having now. Tertullian (3rd century AD) described the Samaritan woman as a prostitute, while a century later John Chrysostom saw her as 'guilty of wicked, shameful sin'. After a little conversation with Jesus alone, which some commentators suggest that conversing alone with a man is like suggesting that "she is ready and available" (to have a relationship), but recognises Jesus as a prophet and Messiah ("Taheb"- who is restorer or a prophet like Moses). She left the water jar, and went into the town and said (Gk legō) to the people (Gk "ánthrōpos"),"come, see a man who told me all things (Gk pás) that ever (Gk hósos) did". The Greek words "pás" means "the whole, a totality", and "hósos" means "time, how long, as long as"."pás hósos poiéō", this makes clear that Jesus had told everything she did in her life. Convincingly she went and brought the people who probably knew about her doings or her lifestyle. 

The History (Animosity with the Samaritans):

At the start of her conversation with Jesus at the sixth hour (noon), the woman was reluctant to give water to Jesus. Her words, "the Jews and Samaritans don't have anything to do with each other", shows that there was some kind of animosity between the two. Why was it so? In 2Kings 17th Chapter, and The Antiquities of the Jews Book 10.14, we read of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser (reigned between 727 to 722 BC) besieged Samaria for three years and took over it by force. He transplanted all the people into Persia and Media, and replaced them with the nations out of Cuthah (for there is still a river of that name in Persia) into Samaria. Verses 26,27,28 reads about a need of a priest for they do not know how to worship this God of Israel, so the king sends one to teach them the manner of worship. ..... The Antiquities of the Jews Book 11.7.2, High priest John died and Jaddua succeeded him. He had a brother by name Manasseh. Sanballat was sent by King Darius of Persia into Samaria. He was a Cuthean by birth. He married his daughter Nicaso to Manasseh the High priest expecting a good relationship with Jews. By this time Alexander the Great conquered part of Darius kingdom. The elders of Jerusalem were uneasy with Manasseh, as he married a foreigner and wanted him to divorce her as to approach the Altar in Jerusalem again. Sanballat promised him not only to preserve to him the honor of priesthood, but to procure for him the power and dignity of High priest, and make him a governor too. He also promised that he would build him a temple like that at Jerusalem upon mount Gerizim, which is the highest of all in Samaria. Sanballat renounced Darius and joined Alexander. He told Alexander that it would be for the king's advantage to have the strength of the Jews divided into two parts than united, which proved troublesome to the kings of Assyria. He told to make this happen, he must build a temple on mount Gerizim and appoint Manasseh as the high priest. Alexander gave permission to do as said. Alexander had taken Gaza and was marching towards Jerusalem. Jaddua the high priest in Jerusalem as warned by God in a dream, gone out in his High priest garments with following people in white garments to welcome Alexander. Upon seeing the High priest, Alexander saluted and gone to the temple and offered sacrifice to the God. And when the High priest intended that he is the one that was in the Book of Daniel which declares that one of the Greeks would destroy the Persians. The next day Alexander granted all they desired. He would permit the Jews in Babylon and Media to enjoy their own laws. On seeing this, the Samaritans who by then has Shechem, a city situated at mount Gerizim as their metropolis, determined to profess themselves Jews. When they met Alexander and welcomed him to mount Gerizim and do the honor, he promised that he would do on his return. When they asked for the grants, he said that was for Jews, however I will do whatever is proper on my return. And on his way in Egypt Alexander died, and his empire divided. The animosity grew more between Samaritans and Jews as days passed on. 

The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 13.3.4, among the Jews and Samaritans, who venerated the temple built on mount Gerizim at the time of Alexander, a dispute broke out; specifically, they fought over their mutual sanctuaries at the time of Ptolemy VI Philometor (BC 244 - 204). The Jews said that the temple at Jerusalem was the one built according to the law of Moses, and the Samaritans said that it was the one on the mount Gerizim.

The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 12.5.3, king Antiochus Epiphanes (BC 175 - 164) returning out of Egypt for fear of Romans, made an expedition against the city of Jerusalem. When he got it, he left the temple bare, and took away the golden candlesticks, the golden altar of incense and table of shewbread, and altar of burnt offering, and the veils. He emptied secret treasures too. He forced Jews to forbade daily sacrifices. ...and when the king had built an idol altar upon God's altar, he slew swine upon it. He made Jews to build temples, and raise idol altars, in every city and village, and offer swine upon them every day. He commanded them not to circumcise their sons, and threatened if any. Jews were whipped with rods and their bodies were torn into pieces, and were crucified alive. They strangled women and their sons who circumcised. When Samaritans saw the sufferings of Jews, they no longer confessed they are Jews as they did in Alexander's time. They said that they were a colony of Medes and Persians. They even sent a letter to Antiochus saying that their forefathers upon certain frequent plagues and superstition, had a custom of observing that day which the Jews celebrated as the Sabbath. Although we erected a temple on mount Gerizim without a name, upon the just treatment of these wicked Jews, ...supposing that we were of kin to them, and practiced as they do, although we are originally Sidonians. ...let our temple be named the temple of Jupiter Hellenius. Of that king Antiochus replied back to Nicanor, the procurator, that the Samaritans choose to live after the customs of the Greeks. Accordingly their temple be named the temple of Jupiter Hellenius.

The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 13.10.1, upon death of Antiochus VII in BC 128, John Hyrcanus I (BC 135 - 104), made an expedition against Samaria (Sebaste), besieged; for the Samaritans had caused a great pain for the people of Marissa, a colony of Jews. He drawn a ditch, and built a double wall round the city, which was fourscore furlongs long, he set his sons over the siege, which brought the Samaritans to the great distress by famine, that were forced to eat what used not to be eaten. ...and when Hyrcanus had taken the city, after a year of siege, he demolished it entirely, and brought rivulets to it to drown it, for he dug such hallows as might let the waters run under it, nay he took away the very marks that there had ever been such a city there. He conquered Medaba, Shechem, Mount Gerizim, subdued the Samaritans and destroyed their temple.

The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18.2.2, when Coponius (the first procurator of Judea (AD 6-9)) administered Judea, was sent along with Quirinius, the following happened. As the Jews were celebrating the feast of unleavened bread, which we call the Passover, it was customary for the priests to open the temple gates (Jerusalem) just after midnight. When those gates were first opened, some of the Samaritans came privately into Jerusalem, and threw about dead. Men's bodies (human bones) in the temple halls (to make the sanctuary levitically unclean). Consequently the sanctuary was forbidden to all Samaritans.

This animosity continued even after the time of Jesus too. 

Vulnerability of Women in this part of the world:

John 4:27,42 read that the disciples were amazed or marveled upon Jesus talking to a woman. The people of Sychar told that they did not believe in her, unless they saw for themselves. In John 8:3, the Scribes and Pharisees brought the woman before Jesus but not the adulterer. Why is this difference between the gender? How does this part of land saw women as -

* Eerdmans' Concise Bible Handbook, mentions a Jewish prayer which says, "Blessed art thou O Lord.... who hast not made me a woman" - [this is worst than the prayer that the Pharisee made - "I thank you that I am not like other people... or even like this tax collector", Luke 18:11.]

* One who excessively converses with a woman causes evil to himself, neglects the study of Torah, and in the end inherits purgatory. (Mishna Avot 1).

* Woman cannot be part of resurrection from the dead, only man can. Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak.

* The female is irrelevant in creation, as she is only a leech, clinging to the main thing... Rabbi Bahya Ben Asher.

* She is no more qualities than animals, if she even has a brain, she was created in order to serve. Rabbi Levi Ben Gershon.

* Once Eve was created, satan was created with her. Midrash Genesis Rabbah 17.

* Rambam (middle ages) wrote that a woman is ready to have sexual relations at age 3, and to give birth at age 12 (Ishut 3:11), he also said, the husband prevent and not allow his wife to leave the house anymore than once or twice... since the beauty of woman comes from sitting in the corner of her house (Ishut 13:11); women are invalid to testify in case of trial (Edut 9:2).

*  It is forbidden to give women jewelry, since they are arrogant. Jerusalem Talmud, Chapter 6.

* The common Jewish teaching that talking too much to a woman, even one's wife, was a waste of time, diverting one's attention from the study of Scripture and reflection on God.

The Scenario (Woman caught in Adultery):

John 8:2-11 - Our meditation on this chapter starts with John 7:2, It was the Festival of Shelters or Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus going upto Jerusalem after their brothers has gone. This festival falls in the months of mid-September and mid-October. After the festival, Jesus stayed in Jerusalem and went to the temple at the dawn. The Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. They said in the Law of Moses it was commanded us to stone such women. Leviticus 20:10 reads, "If a man commits adultery with a married woman - if he commits adultery with his neighbour's wife - both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death", and Deuteronomy 22:22 reads, "If a man is discovered having sexual relations with another man's wife, both the man who had sex with the woman and the woman must die". The point one need to understand over here is that the Pharisees brought only the woman but not the adulterer, while the law required to punish both. How would the Scribes make error being the teachers of the Law of Moses? As Pharisees who are particular about the witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6,7 and 19:15) has the burden of bringing the witnesses and both the convicts before Jesus. Just in case if she was caught in adultery, the burden of proving the case is upon them. But commentators say that by this time only capital punishments are permitted only in the cases of temple violations by the Romans and not in any other matters. But this did not always succeed in preventing stoning (Stoning of Stephen, Acts 7:58,59). So Scribes and Pharisees brought her before Jesus to test/know whether Jesus abides by the law or not. The law also says that in Deuteronomy 19:16, that a malicious witness should be dealt in the same manner as he intended to his brother. If the Scribes and Pharisees are bearing a false witness upon the woman, then they are punishable according to the Law of Moses.

Culture of the Land (the Law and Punishment):

Leviticus 29:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22, impose death penalty for adultery with a married woman. The law specified death penalty, but not specified the method of death. According to the oral law, if the death penalty was not specified in detail, it was always understood as killing by strangulation. In the case of Stephen this did not happen, due to the angry mob.

Mishna Sanhedrin 11.1, these are the one's who are strangled... those who lie with a married woman, 11.6, whoever has sexual relations with a married woman, after she has entered the husband's sphere (control) after marriage, even if she has not had sexual relations with him. Whoever has sexual relations with her will be strangled. Midrash Sanhedrin 7.3, the legal procedure for those who are to be strangled are is as follows: one plunged him into the dung up to his knees and put a hard firm cloth in a soft one and wrapped it around his neck. One of them pulled (one end of the cloth) towards him, and the other one pulled toward him until his soul departed.

Mishna Sanhedrin 7.4, these are those who are stoned - those who have sexual relations with an engaged girl and 7.9, whoever has sexual relations with an engaged girl is guilty only if she is 12 to 12.5 years old, a virgin, a fiancee in her father's house. If two had sexual relations with her, the first is punished by stoning and the second by strangulation.

How the punishment of stoning conducted?

When the trial is over, they take the condemned person at a distance from the court, outside the camp (Leviticus 24:14). A man stands with a signalling flag (Hebrew "sudarin" = scarf). A horseman was stationed far away but within sight of him. If one of the judges says, I have something to say in his favor or if the condemned person himself says, I have something to say in his defence, the signalling person waves the flag and the horseman runs to stop the execution (Sanhadrin 42b).

Mishna deals with the process of punishment. The place of stoning was the height of two men or a building height. One of the witnesses pushed him down by the hips. If he falls face downward, he was turned on his back. If he died by the fall, that was enough. But if not, the second witness took a stone and drop it on his chest. If he died of it that was enough. But if not, his stoning had to be carried out by all Israel (Sanhedrin 6.4).

This is how the execution of the accused will take place. The punishment is the same for the adulteress and the adulterer, if they might be Samaritans or the Jews, the judgement and execution doesn't differ.

The Conclusion:

The lily among the thorns - we saw the vulnerability of women in this part of the land. Both women were on the verge of death. One escaped conviction and the other faced it. As Jesus said, Samaritan woman, who was now living with is not her husband. In other words, she is in an illicit relationship, if prosecuted, she should have faced death. After speaking to Jesus, she saw the Samaritan restorer (Taheb) in him. [v4:25 - Because the Samaritans were longing for a Messiah who would rebuild their temple again. It happened that within a few years (probably in AD 36) after the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus Christ, a man fooled some Samaritans by saying that he would show the utensils that Moses used in the Tabernacle on mount Gerizim. Pontius Pilate prevented them from not going up the mount. This ultimately led many to die. (The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 18.4.1)] Above all she realised that, whatever Jesus said about her, or everything she did was completely true (v18). These factors completely convinced her. Despite that fact that she should face a death penalty if she reveal herself her secret relationship, she gone into the town and called upon the people to come and see whom she found (the Messiah). This act of her reveals her joyous moment in her life. Knowingly or unknowingly of the imminent death penalty, she shares with the people of her relationship (illicit). In her own words on v39, "He told me everything I ever did". Though Samaritans are awaiting a Messiah to come, the interest in him might have caused the people of Sychar to follow her. Or it might be that, though the  woman's words were given less priority; people wouldn't have followed her, if she didn't have confessed what she hid from them all till now (the illicit relationship).

On the other hand, the Pharisees and Scribes brought the Woman caught in adultery before Jesus. He stooped down silently and started writing something on the dust. Some theologians say that, the reason why Jesus started writing on the dust is due to the Sabbath restrictions (Mishna Shabbat 12.5); Jesus cared about himself by not getting into trouble by a lengthy conversation or debate with the teachers before His time. Some commentators say that Jesus on seeing the mob around her, started writing the last commandment (Exodus 20:17) "Do not covet your neighbours wife" or on his own standards, seeing a woman lustfully is in itself committing adultery (Matthew 5:28). By writing this, Jesus is trying to drag all those around her into the same sin, who are prone to punishment. Jesus says to the Pharisees, "And if I do judge, my judgement is true, because it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent Me" (John 8:16). If they are falsely accusing an innocent woman (who happened to be a prostitute, but was not caught in the act at present), according to Deuteronomy 17:7; 19:19, the false witnesses who need to throw the first stone on her are now become accused because of their false statements. Or is it that Jesus had written Job's defence from the Book of Job, chapter 13:9,23, "Is it good that he should search you out? ...How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin." We don't know what Jesus wrote on the dust, but this made them all starting from the old to the young to leave until Jesus and the woman were left alone. The Scribes and Pharisees might have feared about their own sins or of accusing false witnesses if they prepared priorly (which happened in Jesus trial, Matthew 26:59, the chief priests and the elders and all the council (Sanhadrin) sought false witness against Jesus...) because Jn.8:6 reads that "they came to trap him". Whatever, she was acquitted with no punishment.

Of both the scenarios above, we see a woman who joyously brings on the people to Jesus in spite of the danger that she might be punished if pointed out. On the other hand we saw, the learned Scribes (teachers) and the Pharisees who know the Law of Moses, feared of their own sins if pointed out. Letter to Romans 5:8,10 reads, "...while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" I believe that the Samaritan woman and the other Woman caught in adultery were reconciled and lived a peaceful life hopefully. What about us, we know Jesus, we were saved, how happy and joyous are we and moreover we have a reason to boast. Let's boast about our Savior.

Appendix -

An Extra Mile (the Living Waters):

Jesus ministerial phase has four Passover festivals. The feast of First Fruits is the last festival (which is the Resurrection day, the third day after the Passover), that Jesus celebrated. That's the reason why in 1Corinthians 15:20 reads, "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the First Fruits of those who have fallen asleep". After forty nine days after the Passover comes the Pentecost festival. Jesus was in Jerusalem for Passover (John 2:13). After the celebration of Passover, He had a conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21), then He went with His disciples to Aenon (part of Decapolis), to baptize people. He comes back to Judea (Jerusalem) to celebrate Pentecost (also known as the Harvest festival or the Feast of Weeks) and then heads back to Galilee via Samaria, where He meets the Samaritan woman (John 4:3-42). In the fifth chapter of John we read Jesus coming to Jerusalem to celebrate another Passover (5:2), and yet another Passover is recorded in the sixth chapter (6:4). In the seventh chapter Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate Festival of Shelters (Sukkot) (7:2). He remained in Jerusalem when the Woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus.

You might be thinking why did I mentioned all these festivals? Yes, to understand the complete gist of the words of Jesus, we need to understand the festivals.

Assume with me that Jesus came to Sychar and was thirsty, sat at the well facing south and the Samaritan woman was facing north and having a conversation with Jesus. While Jesus was mentioning about "the fields that are ready for the harvest (4:14-38)", Jesus was mentioning to the right hand side of him to the fields that are on the west of mount Gerizim which king Herod has given to the gentiles. Probably Jesus was mentioning "the fields are white for the harvest", because it was the season for barley harvest. While Jesus was mentioning to "the worship on mount Gerizim and Jerusalem (4:21)", Jesus was mentioning both the places, that He is facing (north) towards.

Till now we have tried to understand the topography of the area and Jesus words and its physical structures. Now let's draw towards the spiritual side of His words and the customary understanding of His words.

We need to understand the Scripture John 4:10-14 and 7:37,38 before analysing it. Both these Scriptures are related to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus tells to be born again of water and in the Spirit (John 3:5). The word "Spirit" in Greek is "pneuma" and in Hebrew "ruach". 

The Samaritan woman questions about the deep well that their patriarch Jacob dug for them and drawing up of  the water was not easy. When Jesus was questioned, "are you greater than Jacob", Jesus in later occasion said, "Truly I tell you before Abraham was, I am", (8:58). We don't know how deep it was in Jesus' time but today it is possibly 100ft deep. And Jesus says, whoever drinks of this well become thirsty again but the water I give will never get thirsty again (4:13). The Samaritan woman doesn't understand about what Jesus meant by "never thirsty again", because the Samaritans believed only in the Samaritan Pentateuch (the first five books of Moses), other than this they know not about the prophets. That's the reason why she questions Jesus, "are you greater than Jacob?" The Samaritans are expecting a Taheb, a Messiah, greater than Moses. Jesus is the one who can meet and fulfill all these expectations. "The living water" (John 4:10) that Jesus promises is of Himself, who fulfills the prophecies of Isaiah 55:1; Jeremiah 2:13 and Zechariah 14:8; Isaiah 12:3,4 (on that day). Speaking to Nicodemus, Jesus says, He is the one descended from heaven" (John 3:13). Jesus is very clear when He said, "I am only with you for a short time. Then I am going to the One who sent Me", (John 7:33). "It is for your benefit that I go away, the Counselor... When He comes He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgement" (John 16:7,8). "As for you stay in the city until you are empowered from on high" (Luke 24:49). He speaks of streams of living water flow from within (John 7:38). But this will take a little time to fulfill because, "The Spirit was not yet been given because Jesus was not yet been glorified" (John 7:39). We can see this unstoppable spring of anointing of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-12. As said in Zachariah 14:8 and Isaiah 12:4, "the day" was the day of Pentecost. The mentioning of ripen harvest is ready to be reaped from that day on. 

Now we will meditate on John 7:37,38 - on v2, we read that Jesus was about to come or came to Jerusalem to celebrate Festival of Shelters (Booths) or Sukkot (Leviticus 23:33-44). Here is an another illustration of "living waters" flowing from the altar. On the last and most important day (John 7:37) Jesus calls on the people to turn to Him and "those who are thirsty, let him come and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said (Isaiah 55:1; 12:3,4), will have streams of living water flow from deep within him". What happens on the last day of the Festival of Shelters in the Temple of Jerusalem? The Festival of Shelters falls in the months of mid September - mid October. For the past seven days the priests in the Temple, had carried water in a golden pitcher from the Pool of Siloam to be poured into a basin at the foot of the altar. The act of pouring of water is like the start of the rainy season. It is like the pouring of the "tongues like flames of fire that seperated and rested on each one of them" (Acts 2:3; 10:44-46), fulfilling the prophecy of Prophet Joel 2:28-30, "displaying wonders in heavens and on earth: bood, fire, and columns of smoke". The last day of this festival is a day of celebration. People shout praises "Hallel", there will be singing (Paslms 113-118), dancing and music. "He who had never seen this ceremony, which was accompanied by dancing, singing... had never seen true joy (Mishna Sukkot 5:1,4). Today the Moroccan Jews celebrated this festival by pour water on each other in a joyful way. This tradition was mentioned in oral law but not in the Bible. 

In John 8:12, Jesus declares that "I am the light of the world". In the Feast of Tabernacles, according to Mishna Sukkot, there are four golden menorahs (75ft high) with four golden bowls on top of each, and four ladders each leading to the bowl. Four strong priests will climb up the ladder with pitchers of oil, nine liters each, which they pour into the bowls. The wicks were made and the menorahs were lit. Under this light men would dance with torches in their hands, singing songs and praises, while the levites play harps, lyres, trumpets, and other musical instruments. This when Jesus declares that "He is the light of the world, and anyone who follows Him will never walk in the darkness but have the light of life".