253 PSALMS 120–136 : SONGS GREAT FESTIVAL FOR A The late origin of Psalm 136 is corroborated, in v. 26, by the appellation “God of heaven”, which fits in with the Persian period 56. 5. A great festival Processions took place on festive occasions, when people gathered in Jerusalem and the sanctuary to rejoice in YHWH as their helper. The high frequency of the notions Israel, Jerusalem, Zion, blessing and peace in the Songs of Ascents is in keeping with a situation like that 57. It is not inconsistent with the festive occasion that prayers and even bitter complaints are found in these texts. After the exile Israel strongly realized that it had been on the verge of utter ruin, and to many of the people living conditions were far from easy. Moreover, the community still experienced the weight of guilt while suffering under foreign rule. In preparation to the celebrations in the temple, the Songs brought this up in a plaintive or meditative manner (see Ps 123 ; 124,1-5; 126,4; 130), while thankfulness, joy and confidence were predominant never- theless (see Ps 121; 122; 124,6-8; 125; 126,5-6; 133). There are good reasons to assume that Sukkoth (Lev 23,34.39) is the festival in which the Songs of Ascents had their place. First, Psalm 132 speaks of an introit of the ark into Zion. In 1 Kings 8 it is told that the ark was taken to Solomon’s new-built sanctuary at the festival in the seventh month — clearly the festival of Sukkoth (vv. 2, 65 ; cf. Lev 23,39; 2 Chr 7,10). Secondly, Psalm 134 addresses YHWH’s worshippers when they “stand in YHWH’s house by night” (v. 1). That festive night-time gatherings, introduced by processions, were an ancient tradition is suggested by Isa 30,29, where there is talk of singing “as in the night when a (or, the) holy feast is kept” and of joy “as when one walks to the sound of the flute to come to the mountain of YHWH”. In tractate Sukkah, as we saw, the Mishnah and the Tosephta have an account of gatherings which during the Feast of Booths took place in the temple court at night 58. See Jonah 1,9; Ezra 1,2; Neh 1,4.5; 2,4.20; 2 Chr 36,23; see also 56 aymv hla in Ezra 5,12 etc. Cf. W.H. SCHMIDT, THAT I, 163. Ps 129,8 seems to quote words as were used — especially in Jerusalem 57 during a festival — in greeting people who, unlike those meant in v. 5, “love Zion ” (cf. Ps 122,6). Tosephta Sukkah 4,5 has a statement of rabbi Jehoshua ben Hananiah 58 saying that in the days of celebration “we never saw a moment of sleep”