Editing Palm Sunday (section)

==Biblical basis and symbolism==
{{Gospel Jesus}}
{{Main|Triumphal entry into Jerusalem}}
[[File:Entry into Jerusalem (Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow).jpg|left|thumb|upright|''[[Triumphal entry into Jerusalem]]'', Russian icon ([[Cathedral of the Annunciation, Moscow]])]]

In the accounts of the four [[canonical Gospel]]s, Christ's [[triumphal entry into Jerusalem]] takes place a week before his [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]].<ref name=Boring256 >''The people's New Testament commentary'' by M. Eugene Boring, Fred B. Craddock 2004 {{ISBN|0-664-22754-6}} pp. 256–258</ref><ref name=CEvans381>''The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Matthew–Luke, Volume 1'' by Craig A. Evans 2003 {{ISBN|0-7814-3868-3}} pp. 381–395</ref><ref name=M133 >''The Synoptics: Matthew, Mark, Luke'' by Ján Majerník, Joseph Ponessa, Laurie Watson Manhardt 2005 {{ISBN|1-931018-31-6}} pp. 133–134</ref><ref name=CAEvans114 >''The Bible knowledge background commentary: John's Gospel, Hebrews–Revelation'' by Craig A. Evans {{ISBN|0-7814-4228-1}} pp. 114–118</ref> Only the Gospel<ref>[[s:Bible (American Standard)/Matthew#21:1|Matthew 21:1–11]], [[s:Bible (American Standard)/Mark#11:1|Mark 11:1–11]], [[s:Bible (American Standard)/Luke#19:28|Luke 19:28–44]], [[s:Bible (American Standard)/John#12:1|John 12:1–19]]</ref> of John shows a timeline of the event, dated six days before the [[Passover]].<ref>{{bibleverse||John|12:1|KJV}}</ref>

The [[raising of Lazarus]] is mentioned only by the Gospel of John, in the previous chapter. The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] which follows the [[Byzantine Rite]], commemorate it on [[Lazarus Saturday]], following the text of the Gospel. In fact, the Jewish calendar dates begin at [[sunset|sundown]] of the night beforehand, and conclude at [[dusk|nightfall]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/671901/jewish/When-Is-Passover-in-2018-2019-2020-and-2021.htm|language = en|title= When Is Passover in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021?|access-date= 2 April 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180318234847/https://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/671901/jewish/When-Is-Passover-in-2018-2019-2020-and-2021.htm|archive-date= 18 March 2018}}</ref>

The [[Gospel of Matthew]] states that this happened that the prophecy might be fulfilled of: Zechariah 9:9<ref>[[s:Bible (American Standard)/Zechariah#9:9|Zechariah 9:9]]</ref> "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".<ref>[[Gospel of Matthew]] 21:4-5</ref> It suggests that Jesus was declaring he was the [[Jesus, King of the Jews|King of Israel]].

According to the Gospels, Jesus Christ rode on a donkey into Jerusalem, and the celebrating people there laid down their cloaks and small branches of trees in front of him, singing part of Psalm 118: 25–26<ref>[[s:Bible (American Standard)/Psalm#118:25|Psalm 118: 25–26]]</ref> – Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord.<ref name="MacArthur17"/><ref name=Boring256 /><ref name=CEvans381 /><ref name=M133 />

The symbolism of the donkey may refer to the Eastern tradition that it is an animal of peace, unlike the horse which is the animal of war.<ref name="Allison120"/> A king would have ridden a horse when he was bent on war and ridden a donkey to symbolize his arrival in peace. Christ's entry to Jerusalem would have thus symbolized his entry as the [[Jesus|Prince of Peace]], not as a war-waging king.<ref name=Allison120 /><ref name=MacArthur17 /> Thus there have been two different meanings (or more levels of [[biblical hermeneutics]]): an historical meaning, truly happening according to the Gospels, and a secondary meaning in the symbolism.

[[File:Enrique Simonet - Flevit super illam 1892.jpg|thumb|upright|left|"Flevit super illam" (He wept over it); by [[Enrique Simonet]], 1892]]
In [[Luke 19#Verses 41–44|Luke 19:41]] as Jesus approaches Jerusalem, he looks at the city and weeps over it (an event known as ''Flevit super illam'' in [[Latin language|Latin]]), foretelling his coming Passion and the suffering that awaits the city in the events of the destruction of the [[Second Temple]].<ref>[[s:Bible (American Standard)/Luke#19:41|Luke 19:41]]</ref>

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]]<ref>{{bibleverse||2 Kings|9:13|KJV}}</ref> 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 [[Juncus|rushes]] on the street, whereas John specifies fronds of palm (Greek ''phoinix)''. In Jewish tradition, the palm is one of the [[Four Species]] carried for [[Sukkot]], as prescribed for rejoicing in Leviticus 23:40.<ref>{{bibleverse||Leviticus|23:40}}</ref>

In the [[Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman culture]] of the [[Roman Empire]], which strongly influenced Christian tradition, the [[palm branch (symbol)|palm branch was a symbol]] of triumph and victory. It became the most common attribute of the [[Nike (mythology)|goddess Nike]] or [[Victoria (mythology)|Victoria]].<ref>Reidar Hvalvik, "Christ Proclaiming His Law to the Apostles: The ''Traditio Legis''-Motif in Early Christian Art and Literature," in ''The New Testament and Early Christian Literature in Greco-Roman Context: Studies in Honor of David E. Aune'' (Brill, 2006), p. 432</ref><ref name="Vioque">{{cite book| first = Guillermo Galán | last = Vioque | title = Martial, Book VII: A Commentary | translator = J.J. Zoltowski | publisher = Brill | year = 2002 | pages = 61, 206, 411 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book| first = Anna | last = Clark | title = Divine Qualities: Cult and Community in Republican Rome | url = https://archive.org/details/divinequalitiesc00clar | url-access = limited | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 2007 | page = [https://archive.org/details/divinequalitiesc00clar/page/n176 162] | isbn =  978-0199226825}}</ref> For contemporary Roman observers, the procession would have evoked the [[Roman triumph]],<ref>Warren W. Wiersbe, ''The Wiersbe Bible Commentary'' (David C. Cook, 2007), p. 272.</ref> 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.{{sfn|Vioque|2002|p=61 }}

Although the [[Epistles of 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.<ref>John Pairman Brown, ''Israel and Hellas'' (De Gruyter, 2000), vol. 2, pp.&nbsp;254ff.</ref> In [[ancient Egyptian religion]], the palm was carried in funeral processions and represented eternal life. The [[martyr's palm]] was later used as a symbol of Christian martyrs and their spiritual victory or triumph over death.<ref>{{cite book | first1 =  Fernando  | last1 = Lanzi | first2 = Gioia | last2 = Lanzi | translator = Matthew J. O'Connell| title = Saints and Their Symbols: Recognizing Saints in Art and in Popular Images | publisher = Liturgical Press | year = 2004 | isbn =978-0814629703   | page = 25}}</ref> In Revelation 7:9, the white-clad multitude stand before the throne and [[Lamb of God|Lamb]] holding palm branches.<ref>{{bibleverse||Revelation|7:9}}</ref>