Does anyone know the origin of the concept of a day of rest (what Judeo-Christianity calls "The Sabbath")?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skeptical Deb on August 21, 2011 at 10:08pm

God created the world in six days. On the seventh day he rested.  If god thought it was good to rest, so should the Jews. I cannot speak to the origin of a day of rest in other societies.

Permalink Reply by Richard Goscicki on November 5, 2011 at 8:48am

I'm no expert on the Bible but I've always believed that God worked (if that's the right word) six days to create the world and took off on the seventh.  That's the day he put aside to bless and pray to Himself. 

Also, when He kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, He curseth them saying, "Thou shalt work in the MUD," for six days, but "Thou can take a brake on the seventh, Sunday." 

 

Permalink Reply by Anthony Becker on November 26, 2011 at 1:20pm

I nice question to add to this would be, Where did the "week" come from?

Permalink Reply by Alice Woodard on January 17, 2012 at 11:02am

You might start looking into the benefits of having such a rule... if everyone is working then they wont beable to attend the village gatterings... as religious leaders wanted more people to listen to them... the masses the working poor... what might have started as an ideal way to give people a break to go to religous gatherings turned into a hardcore rule that if you used it to relax or go fishing, they killed you...

Permalink Reply by Pat on January 17, 2012 at 12:14pm

I suspect the concept was developed over time, possibly in neighboring cultures, but that's just speculation on my part.  What strikes me ironic about the whole thing, among the religious, is this.  What's the one day where they go to church/temple/mosque? The sabbath. What do they do there? Pray. In other words, they're bombarding their diety with with all these requests and favors on his day off! The one freaking day he decides to rest is the day he gets the majority of the work orders. It's his day off!! Leave him alone, so he can screw with the point spread in the big game!