Walls of jerusalem dragon spring7/3/2023 A priest drew the water and returned to the Temple through the Water Gate that led to the inner court. On the morning of the first day of the feast, after the daily sacrifice and daily libation of wine, a procession went from the Temple mount to the spring of Shiloah (Siloam). At some stage these fifteen Psalms were associated with " fifteen steps " that linked the temple courts, but does this traditional ascription reflect their original usage? Rabbi Akiva asserted that the water libation was based on the famous verse from Isaiah 12:3. John 7:37) there, the Levites stood " upon the fifteen steps leading down from the court of the Israelites to the Women's Court, corresponding to the fifteen Songs of Ascent in the Psalms upon them the Levites used to stand with musical instruments and sing hymns " (Mishnah, Sukkah 5.4). Liturgical setting During the time of Christ these psalms were connected with the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) in Jerusalem. These fifteen Psalms stand together as a short collection – the question is why? Why were they written and who wrote them? Are they post-exilic or from the early or late monarchical period? What were they used for? To answer the latter question first, we can safely assume that they were composed for liturgical purposes. They were well suited for being sung, by their poetic form and the sentiments they express. Four of them (122, 124, 131 and 133) are linked in their ascriptions to David, and one (127) to Solomon. More than half of the fifteen Psalms are joyful, and all of them hopeful. The " Song of Degrees ", or the " Songs of Ascent " or otherwise the " Songs of Steps " 1 is a title given to fifteen short Psalms (120–134) characterized by use of a keyword, or by epanaphora (i.e., repetition), and by their epigrammatic style.
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