The
Christian holiday of Pentecost, which is celebrated the 50th day from Easter
Sunday, commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other
followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of
Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles.
The
term Pentecost comes from the Greek meaning "fiftieth". It refers to
the Jewish festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, also known
as the "Feast of Weeks" and the "Feast of 50 days" in
rabbinic tradition.
The Acts narrative of the Pentecost includes numerous references to earlier biblical narratives like the Tower of Babel, and the flood and creation narratives from the Book of Genesis.