History Shabbat

1 history

1.1 etymology
1.2 biblical sources
1.3 origins
1.4 status holy day

history
etymology

the word shabbat derives hebrew verb shavat (hebrew: שָׁבַת‎‎). although translated rest (noun or verb), accurate translation of these words ceasing [from work] , resting not denoted. related modern hebrew word shevita (labor strike), has same implication of active rather passive abstinence work. notion of active cessation labor regarded more consistent omnipotent god s activity on seventh day of creation according genesis.

biblical sources

sabbath given special status holy day @ beginning of torah in genesis 2:1–3. first commanded after exodus egypt, in exodus 16:26 (relating cessation of manna) , in exodus 16:29 (relating distance 1 may travel foot on sabbath), in exodus 20:8–11 (as fourth of ten commandments). sabbath commanded , commended many more times in torah , tanakh; double normal number of animal sacrifices offered on day. sabbath described prophets isaiah, jeremiah, ezekiel, hosea, amos, , nehemiah.

origins

a silver matchbox holder shabbat republic of macedonia

the longstanding traditional jewish position unbroken seventh-day shabbat originated among jewish people, first , sacred institution. origins of shabbat , seven-day week not clear scholars; mosaic tradition claims origin biblical creation.

seventh-day shabbat did not originate egyptians, whom unknown; , other origin theories based on day of saturn, or on planets generally, have been abandoned.

the first non-biblical reference sabbath in ostracon found in excavations @ mesad hashavyahu, dated 630 bce.

connection sabbath observance has been suggested in designation of seventh, fourteenth, nineteenth, twenty-first , twenty-eight days of lunar month in assyrian religious calendar holy day , called ‘evil days’ (meaning unsuitable prohibited activities). prohibitions on these days, spaced 7 days apart, include abstaining chariot riding, , avoidance of eating meat king. on these days officials prohibited various activities , common men forbidden make wish , , @ least 28th known rest-day . universal jewish encyclopedia advanced theory of assyriologists friedrich delitzsch (and of marcello craveri) shabbat arose lunar cycle in babylonian calendar containing 4 weeks ending in sabbath, plus 1 or 2 additional unreckoned days per month. difficulties of theory include reconciling differences between unbroken week , lunar week, , explaining absence of texts naming lunar week sabbath in language.

status holy day

a challah cover hebrew inscription

the tanakh , siddur describe shabbat having 3 purposes:

judaism accords shabbat status of joyous holy day. in many ways, jewish law gives shabbat status of being important holy day in jewish calendar:

it first holy day mentioned in bible, , god first observe cessation of creation (genesis 2:1–3).
jewish liturgy treats shabbat bride , queen (see shekhinah).
the sefer torah read during torah reading part of shabbat morning services, longer reading during week. torah read on yearly cycle of 54 parashioth, 1 each shabbat (sometimes doubled). on shabbat, reading divided 7 sections, more on other holy day, including yom kippur. then, haftarah reading hebrew prophets read.
a tradition states jewish messiah come if every jew observes 2 consecutive shabbatoth.
the punishment in ancient times desecrating shabbat (stoning) severe punishment in jewish law.




^ every person s guide shabbat, ronald h. isaacs, jason aronson, 1998, p. 6
^ landau, judah leo. sabbath. johannesburg, south africa: ivri publishing society, ltd. pp. 2, 12. retrieved 2009-03-26. 
^ graham, i. l. (2009). origin of sabbath . presbyterian church of eastern australia. archived original on december 3, 2008. retrieved 2009-03-26. 
^ jewish religious year: sabbath . encyclopædia britannica. encyclopædia britannica online. 2009. retrieved 2009-03-26. according biblical tradition, commemorates original seventh day on god rested after completing creation. scholars have not succeeded in tracing origin of seven-day week, nor can account origin of sabbath. 
^ bechtel, florentine (1912). sabbath . catholic encyclopedia. 13. new york city: robert appleton company. retrieved 2009-03-26. 
^ sampey, john richard (1915). sabbath: critical theories . in orr, james. international standard bible encyclopedia. howard-severance company. p. 2630. retrieved 2009-08-13. 
^ mezad hashavyahu ostracon, c. 630 bce . retrieved 2012-09-12. 
^ histoire du peuple hébreu . andré lemaire. presses universitaires de france 2009 (8e édition), p. 66
^ eviatar zerubavel (1985). 7 day circle: history , meaning of week. university of chicago press. isbn 0-226-98165-7. 
^ craveri, marcello (1967). life of jesus. grove press. p. 134. 
^ joseph, max (1943). holidays . in landman, isaac. universal jewish encyclopedia: authoritative , popular presentation of jews , judaism since earliest times. 5. cohen, simon, compiler. universal jewish encyclopedia, inc. p. 410. 
^ joseph, max (1943). sabbath . in landman, isaac. universal jewish encyclopedia: authoritative , popular presentation of jews , judaism since earliest times. 9. cohen, simon, compiler. universal jewish encyclopedia, inc. p. 295. 
^ cohen, simon (1943). week . in landman, isaac. universal jewish encyclopedia: authoritative , popular presentation of jews , judaism since earliest times. 10. cohen, simon, compiler. universal jewish encyclopedia, inc. p. 482. 
^ shabbat 118
^ see e.g. numbers 15:32–36.