SLD

OK, I'm not expert on this issue, but according to one source I've read, there could never have been a Palm Sunday as expressed in the Bible, because Palms are not in season during the spring passover in Jerusalem. Thus for there to be any truth to the story of Jesus's "triumphal" entry into Jerusalem, the event had to take place in the fall when there would have been Palm branches available. I did not think that Palms had seasons. Is there somebody more knowledgeable about this who can enlighten me as to this issue?



SLD

gilly54

You are correct in that palm trees are "green" the year round. Their leaves do not turn brown and all drop off like those of deciduous trees.

SLD

OK, I did some digging into my original source, Hyamm Maccoby. Maccoby dates Jesus's entry into Jerusalem in the autumn, during the Feast of the Tabernacles. According to him, at Passover time there are no Palm branches in the region unless Jesus was greeted with withered Palm branches left over from the fall. However, palm branches played and still play an important part in this festival.

Maccoby goes on to point out that Jesus also cursed a fig tree for not having fruit right after entering Jerusalem. However, in the Spring time, one would not expect a fig tree to have fruit, but would in the Autumn around the time of the Feast of the Tabernacles. The story then makes more sense if Jesus's entry into Jerusalem were in the Fall.

This might seem minor, except for the fact that we celebrate Easter in the Spring, a rite associated more with Pagan mystery cults.

However, I was wondering if anybody on this board is from Israel or has been there during the Passover to verify whether this is true. And also, are there any Christian Fundamentalists who dispute this?

SLD