1. How did Jerusalem receive special illumination during the festival of booths, and how did Jews act under this illumination?

THE festival of booths was an occasion for special illumination of “the city of the great King,” Jehovah. (Matt. 5:35) Nightly in Herod’s temple, in the Courtyard of the Women that lay to the east of the altar, there was an unusual display. Four giant candelabra were installed there. Each had four large basins. In order to fill the basins with combustible oil, ladders had to be used to reach them. Castaway garments of the priests were used as wicks for the basins of oil. The light cast by these 16 basins of burning oil was strong enough to illuminate all Jerusalem by night. Under this magnified illumination, the Israelite men in the Courtyard of the Women would dance or do acrobatics, while the womenfolk looked down upon the scene from their balcony. Singers entoned the 15 Psalms of Ascent to musical accompaniment by the Levites. This rejoicing kept on till daybreak.

6. On the last festival day, what did Jesus say that may have reminded his disciples of the special temple illumination?

⁶ On the seventh and last day of the festival of booths, Jesus made a further remark that may have reminded his disciples of the special illumination that featured the celebration, namely, that of the four tall candelabra in the temple’s Courtyard of the Women. Jesus said: “I am the light of the world. He that follows me will by no means walk in darkness, but will possess the light of life.”​—John 8:12.