The Origin of the Week by C. P. Bollman

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 9, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 47.

The Origin of the Week.

By C. P. Bollman

UPON this subject the Christian at Work of November 4, says:—

"The Chaldeans and the Egyptians got their year by observing the first rising of Sirius before the sun. In like manner we must conclude that the fact that seven days marked each changing of the moon would form the most natural division of time into weeks following the division into days covered by the rising and setting of the sun. It may be stated here that the Sabbath was known to the Egyptians, and observed before the exodus; and it was this Sabbath which was adopted by the Hebrews and given a new significance, just as were the three sacrifices . . . and various other features which were borrowed from the Egyptian customs, and adopted under the theocracy."

The time was, not many years since, when such sentiment could have found no place in any so-called orthodox religious paper; but that day is past, and now even leading denominational organs vie with the secular press in giving to the world theories which are designed to discredit the writings of Moses. It is probably true that the Chaldeans and Egyptians did get their year in the manner indicated by the Christian at Work; but it is very far from the truth to say that either they or any other nation got the week from the changes of the moon. There is absolutely nothing in nature to suggest the weekly cycle; and so patent is this fact that the "Encyclopedia Britannica," art. "Calendar," says:—

"As it [the week] forms neither an aliquot part of the year nor of the lunar month, those who reject the Mosaic recital will be at a loss, as Delambre remarks, to assign to it an origin having much semblance of probability."

As intimated in the foregoing the "Mosaic recital" does at least have "much semblance of probability;" and the truth is, that aside from the Bible account of creation there is in history, as in nature, nothing whatever to suggest the origin of the week. We learn from secular history that the week "has been employed from time immemorial in almost all eastern countries;" but aside from revelation we know absolutely nothing of its origin.

That the weekly cycle could not have been suggested by the changes of the moon is evident from the fact that the moon does not change once in seven days; but once in seven days and nine hours, as nearly as may be; and an attempt to account for the week in that manner would, it is safe to say, never have been made had it not been that the very existence of such a cycle unaccounted for by either science or history (aside from the Mosaic record), is an unanswerable testimony to the truthfulness of the Bible account. It was for the purpose of destroying this testimony that infidel patrons of "science falsely so-called" first invented and gave to the world the hypothesis which the Christian at Work, a leading Presbyterian paper of the nineteenth century, dilutes with a few grains of true science and authentic history and sends forth as orthodox Christian teaching!

But is it not as true now as it was 1853 years ago that if men "believe not Moses and the prophets, neither will they" believe the words of Christ himself? And if we do not believe Moses how can we believe Christ? for he indorsed the writings of Moses. According to the book of Genesis both the week and the weekly Sabbath had their origin in the facts of the creation; and to assign to them any other origin is to deny Genesis. But if we deny Genesis we must in like manner deny the whole Pentateuch. And when shall we stop? Evidently just when infidelity directs us to stop.

It is a fact that the Chaldeans and the Egyptians had both the week, and some knowledge of the weekly Sabbath; but it is very evident that this knowledge had been handed down to them by tradition from the Garden of Eden. From the "Encyclopedia Britannica," art. "Babylonia," we learn that the Babylonians had the Sabbath, and that they called it the "rest." But how came they to apply that title to the last day of the week? Only one answer can be given; i. e., they had a tradition of the creation and of God's rest upon the seventh day, just as the Scriptures teach. And as Babylon (Babel, Gen. 11:9) was, we might say, the mother of nations, it is not difficult to imagine how the Egyptians as well as the other nations of the east come to have a knowledge of the week and of the "rest" which was the last day of the week.

But again: We know that the Hebrews had the Sabbath in Egypt, and that Moses and Aaron taught them to keep it (Ex. 5:4, 5); and that the Egyptians would not allow them to do so. But it by no means follows that they got the Sabbath from their oppressors; indeed, that seems very unlikely, even aside from the Bible narrative which absolutely forbids it. However, there is no reason whatever why we should suppose that the Hebrews got the Sabbath from the Egyptians. It is far more reasonable to suppose that they had it independent of the heathen among whom they dwelt. It is more than probable that Abraham kept the Sabbath; and we know that Jacob was familiar with the week (Gen. 29:18, 27); and, as with the Babylonians and Egyptians, to have the week was likewise to have at least some knowledge of the Sabbath. It is then altogether likely that the Hebrews took the knowledge of the Sabbath to Egypt with them; and the same is true of nearly all their ceremonies.

It has been argued, however, that because the religious forms of the Hebrews resembled those of the Egyptians, therefore they borrowed them from the Egyptians. But it would seem that even modern science should be able to see that such a conclusion is by no means necessary. The fact of this resemblance does point to a common origin, but that common origin is fully accounted for in the common origin of the race. Immediately after the fall, God ordained forms for his own worship, and he instituted sacrifices which were to point forward to the promised Saviour. It was these forms that the heathen had corrupted, it was these sacrifices that they had perverted. And when God took his people by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, it was that they might be free from such corrupting influences; that they might keep his Sabbath, a thing they were not permitted to do in Egypt; and that they might offer unto him offerings in righteousness, free from the contaminating influences of pagan worship. Certainly the idea that the Hebrews borrowed these things from the Egyptians can be received only by those who deny the divine inspiration of the Pentateuch; it certainly cannot be by those who believe with the apostle Paul that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God."