History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.747

v6.c82.747

The seven day week is an artificial man-made arrangement. It corresponds to no astronomical or celestial phenomenon. The Mexicans had a week of five days¹⁰⁶⁷ before the Spanish conquest. The seven days week prevailed among Jews, Babylonians and the Incas of South America. The Romans had a week of eight days in Republican times, while the Egyptians and ancient Athenians had a week of ten days In the Old testament God is said to have gone on with the work of creation for six days, to have rested on the seventh and to have blessed it and sanctified it (Genesis 2. 1-3). In Exodus 20. 8-11, 23. 12-14 and Deuteronomy 5. 12-15 God is said to have commanded the Jews to labour for six days, take rest on the seventh and to observe it as the Sabbath of the Lord God and to keep it sacred. The Jews gave no special names to the week days except the Sabbath which was the last day of the week and which they observed on Saturday (and not on Sunday).