There is no doubt that Jesus and his family celebrated the Jewish New Year. They were Jewish, and they naturally celebated all the standard Jewish holidays. And they probably celebrated in Jerusalem. That was a major time commitment, as we’ll see shortly. Several important holy days come in the fall, in the month of Tishrei: Rosh HaShanah (the New Year) on 1 Tishrei Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) on 10 Tishrei Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles) from 15 to 21 Tishrei So the time spanned by these holy days is three whole weeks! Why the New Year Starts in …
Jerusalem
On the Road to Jerusalem With Jesus
According to the gospels, Jesus routinely took the road to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. The main feasts were Passover (in early spring), Pentecost (in late spring), and Tabernacles (in early fall). But we know Jesus also spent at least one Hanukkah (early winter) in Jerusalem. For most of his life, Jesus lived in Nazareth, a village in Galilee about 60 miles north of Jerusalem. And for the last few years, he made his headquarters in Capernaum, another 20 miles or so east of Nazareth. Today, you can drive from Jerusalem to Galilee in less than two hours. But …