"7" - History of a Mystical Number
George Brooks・15 minutes read
The number seven holds cultural significance globally, with lists of seven like the days of the week and planets in ancient astronomy. The seven-day week originated from Babylonian influence and evolved through Hebrew adoption, Roman paganism, and Christian reformation.
Insights
- The seven-day week, commonly used today, originated from the ancient Babylonians and was later adopted by the Hebrews during Babylonian captivity, showcasing the cultural exchange and influence between civilizations.
- The structure of the seven-day week, inspired by the Babylonians' reverence for the seven visible planets, led to the naming of days after these celestial bodies, with subsequent modifications by different cultures to align with their beliefs, such as the Roman pagans replacing planetary names with those of their gods, reflecting the evolving nature of timekeeping systems throughout history.
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Recent questions
Why is the number seven considered lucky or divine?
The number seven is considered lucky or divine globally, especially in the West, due to its significance in various cultural and religious contexts. It is often associated with completeness, perfection, and spiritual significance, leading to its widespread fascination and reverence.
Who introduced the seven-day week?
The seven-day week was not invented by the Hebrews but by the ancient Babylonians. They introduced this structure, which was later adopted by the Hebrews during their Babylonian captivity, linking the origin of the seven-day week to Babylonian culture's influence on Hebrew writings.
How is the number seven linked to ancient astronomy?
The number seven's significance is tied to the seven visible planets in ancient astronomy. The Babylonians, early astronomers, considered these planets as gods, which led to the establishment of the seven-day week based on the planetary influences.
Why do the names of the days of the week in Romance languages reflect planets?
The names of the days of the week in Romance languages reflect the planets that inspired them. This connection stems from ancient Roman pagans replacing the names of the days associated with planetary deities, such as Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and Venus, with names of Germanic and Norse gods, which later influenced the English names of the days.
How did the order of the days of the week come about?
The order of the days of the week, named after planetary deities, differs from the ancient understanding of the planets' sequence due to the Romans blending the Babylonian/Greek system with their solar calendar. This resulted in assigning each hour of each day to a planetary deity in a repeating pattern every seven hours, shaping the order of the days of the week as we know them today.
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Summary
00:00
"The Mystique of Seven in Western Culture"
- The number seven holds a fascination globally, especially in the West, being considered lucky or divine.
- Lists of seven, like the seven wonders of the ancient world, virtues, and vices, are common, but why seven?
- The seven-day week, familiar to most, was not invented by the Hebrews but by the ancient Babylonians.
- Babylonians introduced the seven-day week, later adopted by the Hebrews during Babylonian captivity.
- The seven-day week's origin is linked to Babylonian culture's influence on Hebrew writings.
- The seven-day week's structure is not mathematically convenient, unlike days, months, and years.
- The number seven's significance is tied to the seven visible planets in ancient astronomy.
- The Babylonians, early astronomers, considered the seven planets as gods, leading to the seven-day week.
- Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher, saw the planets as divine intelligences, influencing the seven-tone musical scale.
- The names of the days of the week in Romance languages reflect the planets that inspired them.
13:07
"Days of the Week: Pagan Origins & Evolution"
- Ancient Roman pagans replaced the day of Mars with the Germanic war god Tyr, Mercury's day with the Norse god Odin, Jupiter with Thor, and Venus with Frigg, leading to the creation of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in English.
- A Christian Bishop in the early Middle Ages in Portugal initiated a movement to number the days of the week instead of naming them after pagan gods, resulting in Domingo, Segunda, Terca, Quarta, and so on until Sabado.
- The order of the days of the week, named after planetary deities, differs from the ancient understanding of the planets' sequence due to the Romans blending the Babylonian/Greek system with their solar calendar, assigning each hour of each day to a planetary deity in a repeating pattern every seven hours.
