Trumpets, Feast of

Was celebrated at the beginning of the month Tisri, the first month of the civil year. It received its name from the circumstances that the trumpets usually blown at the commencement of each month were on that occasion blown with unusual solemnity (Lev. 23:23-25; Num. 10:10; 29:1-6). It was one of the seven days of holy convocation. The special design of this feast, which is described in these verses, is not known.

(Numbers 29:1; Leviticus 23:24) the feast of the new moon, which fell on the first of Tisri. It differed from the ordinary festivals of the new moon in several important particulars. It was one of the seven days of holy convocation. Instead of the mere blowing of the trumpets of the temple at the time of the offering of the sacrifices, it was “a day of blowing of trumpets.” In addition to the daily sacrifices and the eleven victims offered on the first of every month, there were offered a young bullock, a ram and seven lambs of the first year, with the accustomed meat offerings, and a kid for a sin offering. (Numbers 29:1-6) The regular monthly offering was thus repeated, with the exception of the young bullock. It has been conjectured that (Psalms 81:1) ... one of the songs of Asaph, was composed expressly for the Feast of Trumpets. The psalm is used in the service for the day by the modern Jews. Various meanings have been assigned to the Feast of Trumpets; but there seems to be no sufficient reason to call in question the common opinion of Jews and Christians, that if was the festival of the New Year’s day of the civil year, the first of Tisri, the month which commenced the sabbatical year and the year of jubilee.

TRUMPETS, FEAST OF. This feast - enjoined Num 29:1-6; Lev 23:24 - was the New Year's day of the civil year, coming on the first of Tisri (October), and was further called by the Rabbins "the birthday of the world," because in Tisri the late fruits were gathered and seed was sown. It was characterized by the use of both the straight trumpet and the cornet in the temple, by the blowing of trumpets everywhere, unless the festival fell on a Sabbath (in this case no trumpets were blown outside of the temple), and by the offering of a young bullock, a ram, and seven first-year lambs, with meat-offerings and a kid for a sin-offering in addition to the daily sacrifices and the eleven victims of the new moon, the ordinary feast of the first day of the month. It was one of the seven days of holy convocation. The feast differed from the other feasts of new moon, which also had their trumpet-blowings over the burnt-offerings, by its being a day of rest and service.