Annual firstlings

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First fruits of the year , also first fruits, first fruits ( Sumerian nesag , Akkadian Nisannu , Hebrew bikkurim ) denoted the first harvest in Mesopotamia . In the Old Testament , the expression was also used in connection with the livestock ( firstborn ).

Mesopotamia

Umma

In Umma the festival of the firstlings of the year was celebrated in August as the Nezag festival in honor of the city god Schara in the fourth month . It thus had the character of a harvest festival and at the same time indicated the beginning of the next agricultural cycle. The Nesag festival in Umma also served as a division of the year into two sections: the first to fourth month and fifth to twelfth month.

Ur-III period

In the Ur-III period at the end of the 3rd millennium BC At the beginning of the new year , the Sumerian Akiti festival was considered a festival of first fruits (Nesag festival) , which was celebrated in the first month. Similar to Umma, it represented the end of the first harvest. It could be celebrated both in August and in spring after the grain harvest.

Old Babylonian time

In the old Babylonian period the name Nesag lived on in the Akkadian month name Nisannu and was celebrated accordingly in the Akitu procession at the beginning of the year. In addition, the custom of nisannu bread was introduced. For this purpose, the first-baked bread was offered as a sacrifice of thanks, similar to the showbread .

Old testament

In the tradition of the Old Testament only the Bikkurim festival (sheaf of first fruits) is known. This meant the perfect cut of the grain at Shavuot , a pilgrimage festival in May / June.

literature

• Walther Sallaberger : New Year (sfest). A. According to Sumerian sources. In: Dietz-Otto Edzard (Hrsg.): Reallexikon der Assyriologie und Vorderasiatischen Aräologie . Vol. 9: Nab-Nanse. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2001, ISBN 3-11-017296-8 , pp. 291–294, here pp. 292–293.
• Immanuel Benzinger : Hebrew Archeology. 3rd edition, E. Pfeiffer, Leipzig 1927 (reprint: Olms, Hildesheim / New York 1974, ISBN 3-487-05165-6 ), pp. 374-375.

Web links

• Andreas Michel :  first fruits. In: Michaela Bauks, Klaus Koenen, Stefan Alkier (Eds.): The Scientific Biblical Lexicon on the Internet (WiBiLex), Stuttgart 2006 ff.