The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-03-03
THE MYSTIC NUMBER SEVEN.
Some References witch Were Found in
School Contest.
IPittsburg Chronicle-Teiegraph.I

IPittsburg ChronicleTelegraph.l
The frequent recurrence of the word
'seven" in Scriptural writings where it is al
most invariably used in an arbitrary way,
gives color to the popular belief that signifi-
canoe was attached to the number not given
to others in days of Biblical history. 1t was
probably owing 10 the oft-repeated use of the
number that the seventh son and especially
the seventh son of a seventh son was partic-
ularly wise and endowed with rare abilities.
Is is also probable that the delusion as to luck
in odd numbers had its origin in the multi
piled Scriptural use of the word seven. The
latter is often termed the divine number and
the mystic seven. During the past week
quite an excitement prevailed among the
young ladies of the Ursuline Academy. occa-
stoned by a search for wonders of the world,
and events of importance in ancient aud
modern history in which the significant
number bore part, prize being awarded
to the class obtaining the highest number of
references
The seven wonders of the world and the
seven days OF the week led the list and are
followed reference among many others of
historic character to the seven cities that
claim the birth of Homer; the seven pyrs-
midS of Egypt; the seven ages OF man; the
Mount Gents tunnel in Italy, seven miles in
length; the surrender of the Trojans to Alex
ander, in $50 B. c., after seven months de-
tense, the seven ears war, the eXnlDltlOu
of the skull and arm bone of Charlemagne at
AK LIE Chapelle every seven years; Rome
and ConstantinOple each on seven hills; the
seventh of January called Distaff Day; the
seven weeks from Easter to the Feast of
Pentecost; the seventh Jewish year con-
sisting of thirteen months; the death of
Jobian by the fumes of coal after reign of
seven months; the seven remaining dramas
of Sophociss; the coffin seven cubits in
length found by Spartan, and supposed to
have contained the corpse of Orestes; the
seven republics; the battle of Gettysburg
fought in the seventh month; Frederick
Williams regiment of men all seven feet
in height; the price of pair of shoes f7
sterling in Austria in 1851; the seventh day
the Jewish day of rest; the signing of the
Declaration of Independence in the seventh
month; the seven sapphires in the crown of
Queen Victoria; the battle of the Seven Oaks,
and the seven years duration of the revolu-
tionary war.
Among. the scriptural references to the
mystic rrdmber are the seven golden lamps
on the seven branched candlesticks; the
sprinkling of leper with the blood of
sparrow seven times; the seven devils po-
sessed by st. Magdalene; the beast with the
seven heads Jobs comforters who sat with
him seven nights; the encompassing of the
walls of Jericho seven days before they fell;
the binding of Sampson by the Philistines
WAbh OONOA NOANOi Vic flNO Vi OoOOU oCfCh
years for Leah and afterward seven for
Rachel; the offspring of Balaam on seven
affairs; the sprinkling of blood seven times
before the mercy seat the seven spirits before
the house of God; He that holdeth seven
stars in his right hand; the seven spirits of
God; the seven angels; the seven CANDLE
sticks; the seven years plague; the seven
walls of wrath, and the woman upon a scar
let colbred beast full of names and bias
phemies and having seven heads.
Terpsichore holds a seven-stringed Tyre.
There are seven notes in music. Handel be-
gan music at the age OF seven. References
of a scientific nature are made to the seven
colors of the rainbow; the shooting stars
with luminus trains seen in 1867 the seven
kinds of clouds; the seven-6ngered digitate
leaf; the seven divisions of the reptillian age;
the seven morning stars; the necessity for
vaccination every seven years; the group of
stars in the constellation Taurus called the
Pleads.
These references are but few of the great
aggregate numbers collected from the Bible,
scientific, historical and other sources.