The Week and the Days of the Week.
In Dr. Hale's Chronology, Vol. i, pp. 18–20, we find testimony which throws light on this division of time, which is purely a Bible one, and on the numbering of the days of the week as mentioned in the Sacred Record. “This primeval measure of time, instituted as a memorial of the work of creation in six days, and of the ensuing Sabbath, or day of “rest,” Gen. ii, 2, 3, was used by the Creator himself, in his denunciation of the deluge, Gen. vii, 8. It was twice employed by Noah in the ark, Gen. viii, 10–12; and Jacob's marriage-feast lasted a week, Gen. xxix, 7. “It was therefore universally observed by Noah's descendants during the prevalence of the Patriarchal religion; but when mankind degenerated, and sunk into idolatry, the primitive institution was neglected, and at length lost. And the days of the week were dedicated by the Egyptians, Chaldeans, Syrians, &c., to the heavenly host, the sun, moon, and planets. “Some astronomers and chronologers have imagined that the week was a natural measure of time, furnished by the four principal phases or quarters of the moon, which last each about a week; but it was unquestionably derived from the divine institution at the creation, handed down by primitive tradition. This is evident from the word Sabbat, or Sabbata, denoting a week among the Syrians, Arabians, Christian Persians, and Ethiopians; as in the following ancient Syriac calendar, expressed in the Chaldee alphabet: “One of the Sabbath, or Week [Sunday], Two of the Sabbath [Monday], Three of the Sabbath [Tuesday], Four of the Sabbath [Wednesday], Five of the Sabbath [Thursday], Eve of the Sabbath [Friday], The Sabbath [Saturday]. “This calendar is taken from Michaelis's Introduction to the New Testament, translated by Marsh, Vol. I, p. 136. The high antiquity of this calendar is evinced by the use of the cardinal numbers, one, two, three, &c., instead of the ordinals, first, second, third, &c., following the Hebrew idiom; as in the account of the creation, where we read in the original, “One day,” which the Septuagint retains, calling it, ἡμέρα μία. It is remarkable that all the evangelists follow the Syriac calendar, both in the word σαββάτα, used for “a week,” and also in retaining the cardinal number μία σαββάτων, “one of the week,” to express the day of the resurrection. Matt. xxviii, 1, Mark xvi, 2, Luke xxiv, 1, John xx, 1. Afterward Mark adopts the usual phrase, πρώτη σαββάτου, “the first of the week,” Mark xvi, 9; where he uses the singular σαββάτον for a week; and so does Luke, as Νηστεύω δίς τοῦ σαββάτου, “I fast twice in the week.” Luke xviii, 12. “The first three evangelists also use the plural σαββάτα, to denote the Sabbath-day; Matt. xii, 5–11, Mark i, 21, and ii, 23, Luke iv, 16, &c. Whereas John, to avoid ambiguity, appropriates the singular σαββάτον to the Sabbath-day, and the plural σαββάτα to the week; John v, 9–16, vii, 22, &c., xx, 1.”