The Week From Antiquity

“‘Let it suffice, however, in a matter on which there is so general an agreement, to present the words of four eminent authors: “The septenary arrangement of the days,” says Scaliger, “was in use among the Orientals from the remotest antiquity.” “We have reason to believe,” observes President DeGoguet, “that the institution of that short period of seven days, called a week, was the first step taken by mankind in dividing and measuring their time. We find, from time immemorial, the use of this period among all nations, without any variation in the form of it. The Israelites, Assyrians, Egyptians, Indians, Arabians, and, in a word, all the nations of the East, have in all ages made use of a week, consisting of seven days. We find the same custom among the ancient Romans, Gauls, Britons, Germans, the nations of the North, and of America.” According to Laplace, “the week is perhaps the most ancient and incontestable monument of human knowledge.” It would appear that the Chinese, who have no Sabbath, at one time honored the seventh day of the week.’ Pages 364, 365.DOF 95.1

“All these ancient nations, being descendants of Noah and his sons, must have received the Sabbath by tradition from them. That the Sabbath would not be lost from Adam to Abraham is manifest when we consider that Adam lived and conversed with Methuselah for 243 years; Methuselah lived contemporary with Shem about 100 years; and Shem lived and talked with Abraham....DOF 95.2

“The lives of these three men span the whole time from Eden even to the old age of Abraham. How easy and natural for them to hand down the Sabbath from father to son without any probability of losing it.DOF 95.3