What did the people wave when Jesus entered Jerusalem?

Answer 1

A:Mark 11:9: "And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

These are the words of the Jewish Succoth, which Mark seems to have transferred from autumn to the Passover season for the procession story. John Shelby Spong (Jesus for the NonReligious) puts it this way:

The ]ewish eight day celebration of the harvest, known as Sukkoth, and also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths, was probably the most popular holiday among the Jews in the first century. In the observance of Sukkoth, worshippers processed through Jerusalem and in the Temple, waving a bunch of leafy branches made of willow, myrtle and palm. As they waved these branches in that procession, the worshippers recited words from Psalm 118, the psalm normally used at Sukkoth. Among these words were "Save us, we beseech you, O Lord." Save us in Hebrew is hosianna or 'hosanna'. This is typically followed by "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalm 118:25-6)."

Mark 11:8 says (NAB), "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields" although the Passover is too early for leafy branches (except palms), John actually corrects this and says 'palm branches', creating our modern tradition of Palm Sunday.

Answer 2

All Gospel writers recount much the same wording to this historic event - the multitude were shouting praise to what they believed would be the earthly king of Israel. They do not seem to have recognised Jesus as God himself.

Answer 3

Mark 11:8-9: "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

Mark's Gospel was the earliest of the New Testament gospels and in this Gospel, the crowd spread leafy branches on the road, just as the Jews used leafy branches in the celebration of the Sukkoth festival held at a different time of year, and just as the Jews did at the Sukkoth festival, shouted, "Hosanna; Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Matthew and Lukefollow Mark quite closely.

John Shelby Spong (Jesus for the NonReligious) says the story came from a Jewish festival actually held at an entirely different time of year:
The ]ewish eight day celebration of the harvest, known as Sukkoth, and also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths, was probably the most popular holiday among the Jews in the first century. In the observance of Sukkoth, worshippers processed through Jerusalem and in the Temple, waving a bunch of leafy branches made of willow, myrtle and palm. As they waved these branches in that procession, the worshippers recited words from Psalm 118, the psalm normally used at Sukkoth. Among these words were "Save us, we beseech you, O Lord." Save us in Hebrew is hosianna or 'hosanna'. This is typically followed by "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. (Psalm 118:25-6).

Knowing that leafy branches were not really available at that time of year, John corrected this to refer to palm branches, but in the earliest account of Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem, leafy branches were used. This and the close parallel to the Sukkoth tradition lead to the conclusion that the story, including cries of "Hozanna" was a literary fiction.

Answer 4

The people waved when Jesus entered Jerusalem since they knew he was the Messiah. This is referred to as the triumphant entry on a donkey.

Answer 5

"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"