Sigd ( , 'Prostration', , also romanized Sig'd, Siged or Seg'd), also Mehlella () or Amata Saww (, 'Grouping Day'), is one of the unique holidays of the

Beta Israel Beta Israel, or Ethiopian Jews, is a Jewish group originating from the territory of the Amhara Region, Amhara and Tigray Region, Tigray regions in northern Ethiopia, where they are spread out across more than 500 small villages over a wide ter ...

(Ethiopian Jewish) community, and is celebrated on the 29th of the Hebrew month of Marcheshvan. Since 2008, it has been an official Israeli state holiday.

Date

Previously, Sigd was celebrated on the 29th of

Kislev Kislev or Chislev (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Hebrew language#Modern Hebrew, Standard ''Kīslev'' Tiberian vocalization, Tiberian ''Kīslēw''), is the third month of the civil year and the ninth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew c ...

, and after a calendar reform in the mid-19th century it was moved to its present day, 50 days after

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

Etymology

The word ''Sigd'' itself is Ge'ez for "prostration" and is related to ''sgēd'' "to prostrate oneself (in worship)". The

Semitic root The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or " radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowel ...

sgd is the same as in ''mesgid'', one of the two Beta Israel Ge'ez terms for "synagogue" (etymologically related to ''masjid'' "

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

", literally "place of prostration"), and from the same Semitic root we also have the Hebrew verb לסגוד ''lisgod'', "to worship".

Significance

There are multiple oral traditions about the origin of Sigd. One tradition traces it to the 6th century, in the time of King Gebre Mesqel of Axum, son of King Kaleb, when the war between Jews and Christians ended and both communities separated from each other. Another traces it to the 15th century as a result of persecution by Christian emperors. One other tradition states that the Jews in Persia, following the destruction of the

First Temple Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple (), was a biblical Temple in Jerusalem believed to have existed between the 10th and 6th centuries BCE. Its description is largely based on narratives in the Hebrew Bible, in which it was commis ...

would climb a mountain, face Jerusalem, and pray to be allowed back. The first mention of Sigd is from the 15th century. Sigd symbolizes the acceptance of the

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

. The ''kahənat'' have also maintained a tradition of the holiday arising as a result of persecution by Christian kings, during which the ''kahənat'' retreated into the wilderness to appeal to God for His mercy. Additionally, they sought to unify the Beta Israel and prevent them from abandoning the

Haymanot Haymanot () is the branch of Judaism which is practiced by the Beta Israel, also known as Ethiopian Jews. In Geʽez, Tigrinya and Amharic, ''Haymanot'' means 'religion' or 'faith'. Thus in modern Amharic and Tigrinya, it is common to speak of ...

(laws and traditions) under persecution. So they looked toward the

Book of Nehemiah The Book of Nehemiah in the Hebrew Bible largely takes the form of a first-person memoir by Nehemiah, a Hebrew prophet and high official at the Persian court, concerning the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile and the ...

, taking inspiration from

Ezra Ezra ( fl. fifth or fourth century BCE) is the main character of the Book of Ezra. According to the Hebrew Bible, he was an important Jewish scribe (''sofer'') and priest (''kohen'') in the early Second Temple period. In the Greek Septuagint, t ...

's presentment of the "book of the law of Moses" before the assembly of Israel after it had been lost during the Babylonian exile.

Historicity

While it is widely thought that Sigd is a holiday particular to Ethiopian Jews, Rabbi Sharon Shalom posits that it was once known to all Jews but was preserved only by the Ethiopian Jewish community, based on Shir HaShirim Rabbah 7:4:

Event

Traditionally in commemoration of the appeals made by the Kessim and consequent mass gathering, the Beta Israel would make pilgrimages to Midraro, Hoharoa, or Wusta Tsegai (possibly marking locations of relief from Christian persecution) every year to reaffirm themselves as a religious community. Ascending up the mountain ritually commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. Today, during the celebration, members of the community fast, recite Psalms, and gather in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

where Kessim read from the ''Orit'' (the Octateuch). The ritual is followed by the breaking of the fast, dancing, and general revelry.

Official national holiday in Israel

In February 2008 MK Uri Ariel submitted legislation to the

Knesset The Knesset ( , ) is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Israel. The Knesset passes all laws, elects the President of Israel, president and Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister, approves the Cabinet of Israel, cabinet, and supe ...

in order to establish Sigd as an Israeli national holiday, and in July 2008 the Knesset "decided to officially add the Ethiopian Sigd holiday to the list of State holidays." According to an opinion piece in the ''Jerusalem Post'' newspaper, however, "While the qessotch essimand Beta Israel rabbis are pleased that the Sigd became an official Israeli state holiday in 2008, they would also like the holiday to become an integral part of the yearly Jewish holiday cycle and be embraced by more Jews, at least in Israel, rather than remain a holiday primarily celebrated by the Jewish community from Ethiopia." Israeli President Isaac Herzog celebrated Sigd with the Ethiopian Jewish community on the Armon Hanatziv Promenade in November 2021. In his speech, he hailed Sigd as “a holiday of victory” and praised the Ethiopian Jewish community for its proactive efforts to immigrate to Israel.

References

External links

"The Jewish Agency for Israel page"
a brief description of the holiday from the Department of Zionist Education *Shai Afsai
"The Sigd Festival comes home to Jerusalem"
''Jerusalem Post'', December 12, 2012
"Photos of Sigd"
by Danny Yanai {{Jewish holidays Beta Israel Ethiopian Jews Cheshvan observances Haymanot Kislev observances Minor Jewish holidays Public holidays in Israel