The Arizona sentinel., 1886-04-17
THE MYSTIC SEVEN.
Some Interesting References Brought Out
 by a School Contest.

Some Interesting References Brought Out
 by School Contest.
 The frequent recurrence of the word ''seven" in Scriptural writings, where 1t is almost invariably used in an arbitrary way, gives color to the popular belief that significance was attached to the number not given to others in days of Biblical history. Itwas probably owing to the oft-repeated use of the number that the seventh son and especially the seventh son of seventh son was par ticularly wise and endowed with rare abilities. It is also probable that the delusion as to luck in odd numbers had its origin in the multiplied 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. occasioned by search for wonders of the world, and events of importance in ancient and modern his tory in which the significant number bore part, a prize being awarded to the class obtaining the highest number of references.
 The seven wonders of the word and the seven days of the week led the list, and are followed by reference among many others of historic character to the seven cities that claim the birth ot Homer; the seven pyramids of Egypt; the seven ages of man; the Mont Cenls tunnel in Italy, seven miles in length; the surrender of the Trojans to Alex ander, in 330B. C., after seven months defense; the seven years war; the ex- hibition of the skull and arm bones of Charlemagne at Aix-le-Chapelle every seven years; Rome and Constantinople, each on seven hills; the seventh of Janu- ary called Distaff Day; the seven weeks from Easter to the Feast of Pentecost; the seventh Jewish year consisting of thirteen months; the death of Jobian by the fumes of coal after reign of seven months; the seven remaining dra- mas of Sophocles; the coffin seven cu- bits in length found by a Spartan, and supposed to have contained the corpse of Orestes; the seven republics; the bat tie of Gettysburg fought in the seventh month; Frederick Williams regiment of men all seven feet in height; the price of pair of shoes seven pounds sterling in Austria in 1854; the seventh day the Jewish day of rest; the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the sev- enth month; the seven sapphires in the crown of Queen Victoria; the battle of the Seven Oaks, and the seven years duration of the revolutionary war.
 Among the Scriptural references to the mystic number are the seven golden lamps on the seven branched- candle. sticks; the sprinkling of leper with the blood of a sparrow seven times; the seven devils possessed by St. Magdalene the beast with the seven heads; Job: comforters who sat with him sever nights; the encompassing of the wall oi Jericho seven days before they fell; tho binding of Sampson by the Philistine' with seven cords; the service of Jacot seven years for Leah and afterwarC seven for Rachel; the offspring o Balaam on seven altars; the sprinkling of blood seven times before the mercy seat; the seven spirits before the house OOQs I1c OIldb uO1OOOu cONOh COdAo II his right hand; the seven spirits of God the seven angels; the seven candlesticks the seven years plague; the seven viali of wrath. and the woman upon a scar let colored beast full of names and bias phemies and having seven heads.
 Terpsichore holds a seven-strin geC Tyre. There are seven notes in music Handel began music at the age of seven References of a scientific nature ar made to the seven colors of the rainbow the shooting stars with luminous train seen in 1867; the seven kinds of clouds the seven-fngered digitate leaf; tht seven divisions of the reptilian age; tn, seven morning stars; the necessity for vaccination every seven years; the groul of stars in the constellation Taurus called the Pleiads.
 These references are but few of tht great aggregate numbers collected iron fhe Bible. scientific, historical and othe sources.-PittS6urgh Chronicle.