The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-01-12
TEE WEEK or SEVEN DAYS.


As has been remarked by the com.
nentaiors, and rs is apparent to careful
readers. it would seem that some notion
of The week of seven days was current
among the pcopls whose history is re-
corded In very early times. that is TO
say. at n date long preceding Moses or
any OF the books written by him. The
proof Of this is to bo found in such
passages as the following: Genesis,
xxx, q, where Jacob is desired by
La5an TO fulfill her week." that is
Leah's week. in ocder that he might
also receive Rachel. The week appears
TO express the time given up TO nuptiai
festivities. So afierward in Judges.
xiv, where Samson speaks of .'tho
seven days OF tho feast" So also on
the occasion of the death OF Jacob,
Joseph made mourning FOR his father
seven days" (Genesis, l., 10Y But
"neither of these instances, any more
than Noah's procedure in the ark. 20
further than showing the custom OF OBJ
serving = torn of seven days for any
observance of importance" They do
not prove that the whole year or the
whole month was thus divided st all
times ami without regard to remark
abio events. They DO not indeed Drove
this. but they suggest the division as
common and familiar and in some early
period recognized as an institution.
When. therefore, the children OF Israel
went down 10 Egypt for what proved to
be very long scjourn in that country
they possibly were familiar with the
practice OF dividing time by weeks, and
at all events the notion of seven dsys as
a convenient portion OF time for the
affairs of life would not seem altogether
strange to them. Il is exceedingly
probable that on arriving in Egypt they
found the week established by the prac-
tice OF the country. 1t will be observed
that it was in Egypt that Joseph mourn
ed seven days for Jacob; and it is pos
sible. though there seems TO be no neces-
sity to assume The fact, that in so doing
ne was conforming to the custom, of The
as he did With regard to the
and ches:ing of his fathers
But independently OF any |
'uch consideration, it would seem high |
y probable that the Israeities found |
in Egypt among people |
who divided the time by weeks OF seven
lays. We know that they did SO at a
ater period; why might they not have
as early As befora the So
curn of the Israelites? The Egyptians
we're. in fact. a people very likely to be
idvanced in such a matter as this;
rider and government, both ecclesiasti-
al and civil. were undoubtedly in re-
state OF perfection at the time
o which reference is now made, and it
Eould seem much more probable than |
therwise that so convenient an institu-
ion as the subdivision of the month
nto short periods had already been
1t may be noted with
eference to the number seven and its
in some form or another as
special number among the Egyptians, {;
nat We nave incidental evidence in the
ream of Pharaoh; the special form of
ne dream, as presenting seven fat and |
even lean kline, may be supposed to
ave been connected with some famil-
srity in Pharaoh's mind with the num- 3.
er seven during his waking hours.
nd as regards the Israelites. It may be
bserved that the period of seven days
introduced into the most solemn |
Vent of their Egyptian sojourn. name. y
:, The ordinance of the Passover.
Seven days shall re eat unleavcned
read; even the first day We shall put 2
way leaven out OF Your houses; for l
hosoever eateth leaven bread from the e
rst until the seventh day, that soul
iall be cut of from Israel The VI
.shop Of Carlisle sa The Contemporary =
ec.e,o.