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In many Christian [[churches]], ''Palm Sunday'' includes a [[procession]] of the assembled [[worshipers]] carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into [[Jerusalem]]. The difficulty of procuring palms in unfavorable climates led to their [[substitution]] with branches of native trees, including box, yew, willow, and olive. The Sunday was often designated by the names of these trees, as in Yew Sunday, or by the general term Branch Sunday.

In many Christian [[churches]], ''Palm Sunday'' includes a [[procession]] of the assembled [[worshipers]] carrying palms, representing the palm branches the crowd scattered in front of Jesus as he rode into [[Jerusalem]]. The difficulty of procuring palms in unfavorable climates led to their [[substitution]] with branches of native trees, including box, yew, willow, and olive. The Sunday was often designated by the names of these trees, as in Yew Sunday, or by the general term Branch Sunday.

The [[symbolism]] is captured in [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Zechariah#Chapter_.9 Zechariah 9:9] "The Coming of Zion's King – See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey". It suggests that Jesus was declaring he was the [[King]] of [[Israel]] to the anger of the [[Sanhedrin]].

The [[symbolism]] is captured in [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Zechariah#Chapter_.9 Zechariah 9:9] "The Coming of Zion's King – See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey". It suggests that Jesus was declaring he was the [[King]] of [[Israel]] to the anger of the [[Sanhedrin]].

According to the Gospels, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, and the celebrating people there laid down their cloaks and small branches of trees in front of him, and sang part of [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Psalms#Psalm_118 Psalm 118: 25–26] – ... Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord ....

According to the Gospels, Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, and the celebrating people there laid down their cloaks and small branches of trees in front of him, and sang part of [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Psalms#Psalm_118 Psalm 118: 25–26] – ... Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord ....

The symbolism of the donkey may refer to the Eastern [[tradition]] that it is an animal of [[peace]], versus the horse, which is the animal of [[war]]. A king would have ridden a horse when he was bent on war and ridden a donkey to symbolize his arrival in peace. Jesus' entry to Jerusalem would have thus symbolized his entry as the [[Prince of Peace]], not as a war-waging king.

The symbolism of the donkey may refer to the Eastern [[tradition]] that it is an animal of [[peace]], versus the horse, which is the animal of [[war]]. A king would have ridden a horse when he was bent on war and ridden a donkey to symbolize his arrival in peace. Jesus' entry to Jerusalem would have thus symbolized his entry as the [[Prince of Peace]], not as a war-waging king.

In [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gospel_of_Luke#Chapter_19 Luke 19:41] as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the [[city]] and weeps over it, foretelling the suffering that awaits the city in the events of the [[destruction]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Temple Second Temple].

In [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Gospel_of_Luke#Chapter_19 Luke 19:41] as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the [[city]] and weeps over it, foretelling the suffering that awaits the city in the events of the [[destruction]] of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Temple Second Temple].

In many lands in the ancient [[Near East]], it was customary to cover in some way the [[path]] of someone thought [[worthy]] of the highest honour. The Hebrew Bible ([http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Book_of_Kings#Chapter_.9 2 Kings 9:13]) reports that Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, was treated this way. Both the Synoptic Gospels and the [[Gospel of John]] report that people gave Jesus this form of honour. In the synoptics the people are described as laying their garments and cut rushes on the street, whereas John specifies fronds of palm. In Jewish tradition, the palm is one of the Four Species carried for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot Sukkot], as prescribed for rejoicing at [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Leviticus#Chapter_.23 Leviticus 23:40].

In many lands in the ancient [[Near East]], it was customary to cover in some way the [[path]] of someone thought [[worthy]] of the highest honour. The Hebrew Bible ([https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Book_of_Kings#Chapter_.9 2 Kings 9:13]) reports that Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat, was treated this way. Both the Synoptic Gospels and the [[Gospel of John]] report that people gave Jesus this form of honour. In the synoptics the people are described as laying their garments and cut rushes on the street, whereas John specifies fronds of palm. In Jewish tradition, the palm is one of the Four Species carried for [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot Sukkot], as prescribed for rejoicing at [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Leviticus#Chapter_.23 Leviticus 23:40].

In the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman Greco-Roman culture] of the Roman Empire, which strongly influenced Christian [[tradition]], the palm branch was a [[symbol]] of triumph and [[victory]]. It became the most common attribute of the goddess Nike or Victory. For contemporary Roman observers, the procession would have evoked the Roman triumph, when the triumphator laid down his arms and wore the toga, the civilian garment of peace that might be ornamented with emblems of the palm. Although the Epistles of [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]] refer to Jesus as "triumphing", the entry into Jerusalem may not have been regularly pictured as a triumphal procession in this sense before the 13th century. In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_Religion ancient Egyptian religion], the palm was carried in [[funeral]] processions and represented [[eternal]] life. The palm branch later was used as a symbol of Christian [[martyrs]] and their spiritual victory or triumph over [[death]].[13] In [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Revelation#Chapter_7 Revelation 7:9], the white-clad multitude stand before the throne and Lamb holding palm branches.

In the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Roman Greco-Roman culture] of the Roman Empire, which strongly influenced Christian [[tradition]], the palm branch was a [[symbol]] of triumph and [[victory]]. It became the most common attribute of the goddess Nike or Victory. For contemporary Roman observers, the procession would have evoked the Roman triumph, when the triumphator laid down his arms and wore the toga, the civilian garment of peace that might be ornamented with emblems of the palm. Although the Epistles of [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]] refer to Jesus as "triumphing", the entry into Jerusalem may not have been regularly pictured as a triumphal procession in this sense before the 13th century. In [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_Religion ancient Egyptian religion], the palm was carried in [[funeral]] processions and represented [[eternal]] life. The palm branch later was used as a symbol of Christian [[martyrs]] and their spiritual victory or triumph over [[death]].[13] In [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Revelation#Chapter_7 Revelation 7:9], the white-clad multitude stand before the throne and Lamb holding palm branches.

In the 15th through the 17th centuries in England, Palm Sunday was frequently marked by the burning of Jack-'o'-Lent figures. This was a straw effigy which would be stoned and [[abused]] on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday Ash Wednesday], and kept in the parish for burning on Palm Sunday. The symbolism was believed to be a kind of [[revenge]] on [[Judas Iscariot]], who had [[betrayed]] Christ. The [[effigy]] could also have represented the hated figure of [[Winter]], whose destruction prepares the way for [[Spring]].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday]

In the 15th through the 17th centuries in England, Palm Sunday was frequently marked by the burning of Jack-'o'-Lent figures. This was a straw effigy which would be stoned and [[abused]] on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ash_Wednesday Ash Wednesday], and kept in the parish for burning on Palm Sunday. The symbolism was believed to be a kind of [[revenge]] on [[Judas Iscariot]], who had [[betrayed]] Christ. The [[effigy]] could also have represented the hated figure of [[Winter]], whose destruction prepares the way for [[Spring]].[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Sunday]

[[Category: Religion]]

[[Category: Religion]]