THE history of the Sabbath in pre-Christian ages has lately been made the special subject of investigation by the French Swiss scholar, Dr. Louis Thomas, formerly professor in Geneva. He treats the subject from two sides—historically and historico-dogmatically. On the basis of data secured from a wide range of research in archæology and the history of religion, he reaches the conclusion that more or less clear traces of the original significance of the sacredness of the seventh day are to be found in no fewer than six distinct civilized races of antiquity, namely, the Chaldees, the Arabs, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Chinese, and, representing a relatively younger stage in the spread of these ideas, the Peruvians and the negroes of West Africa. These traces consist partly in the observance of a week consisting of seven or eight days; partly in the observance of a particular day as holy, usually the last day of the week, the latter being done by the Chaldees, the old Persians, Romans, and West African blacks; partly in the prominence assigned to the seventh day, also in the cosmogonical traditions, as is done by the Chaldees and the Persians. The opinion that these traditions in the case of the oldest of these nations, the Chaldees, are based upon an elementary knowledge of astronomy, and are derived from a division of the lunar month into four parts, or from the fact that there are seven planets, is antagonized by Dr. Thomas. He finds them based on very ancient theogonic and cosmogonic traditions. Among the Egyptians, also, in spite of their official acceptance of the decade division of time in public and religious life, there are still remnants of an older seven divisions in both public and priestly traditions. In the same way in the religio-philosophical speculation of the Greeks, the number seven played an important role.—Independent.