Uploaded February 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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The number seven appears everywhere in the Bible...and a bunch of religious traditions too. Why is the number seven sacred?
Bibliography:
Arvid Kapelrud, "The Number Seven in Ugaritic Texts," Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 18 (Oct 1968), 494-499.
Denise Flanders, "The Rhetorical Use of Numbers in the Deuteronomistic History," 2022.
Denise Flanders, "Saul has Killed His Thousands, David His Ten Thousands," dissertation, 2019.
James Pritchard (ed.), "Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament," Third Edition with Supplement, 1969
R.A. Kraft, "Philo's Treatment of the Number Seven in On Creation," in "Exploring the Scripturesque, (2009), p. 217-236.
Botterweck et. all. (ed.), "Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament," Vol. 14.
Laki, "On the Origin of the Sexagesimal Sytem," Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, Vol. 59, No 1/3 (Jan - March 1969).
Kazuo Muroi, "The Origin of the Mystical Number Seven in Mesopotamian Culture"
Adela Harbro Collins, "Cosmology and eschatology in jewish and Christian Apocalypticism," 1966.
Bendt Alster, "Early Dynastic Proverbs and other Contributions to the Study of Literary Texts from Abu Salabikh," Archiv für Orientforschunb (1991/1992), 1 - 51.
Leonid Zhmud, "From Number Symbolism to Arithmology," Zahlen- und Buchstabensysteme im Dienste religiöser Bildung. L. Schimmelpfennig (ed.).Tübingen: Seraphim, 2019. P. 25-45.
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
00:00 Why so many 7s?
00:24 Near Eastern Context
5:03 Later Development of Sacred 7
5:59 Cross-cultural phenomenon?
7:18 Origin theories
10:46 Patreon
Support us on Patreon!: patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
The number seven appears everywhere in the Bible...and a bunch of religious traditions too. Why is the number seven sacred?
Bibliography:
Arvid Kapelrud, "The Number Seven in Ugaritic Texts," Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 18 (Oct 1968), 494-499.
Denise Flanders, "The Rhetorical Use of Numbers in the Deuteronomistic History," 2022.
Denise Flanders, "Saul has Killed His Thousands, David His Ten Thousands," dissertation, 2019.
James Pritchard (ed.), "Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament," Third Edition with Supplement, 1969
R.A. Kraft, "Philo's Treatment of the Number Seven in On Creation," in "Exploring the Scripturesque, (2009), p. 217-236.
Botterweck et. all. (ed.), "Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament," Vol. 14.
Laki, "On the Origin of the Sexagesimal Sytem," Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, Vol. 59, No 1/3 (Jan - March 1969).
Kazuo Muroi, "The Origin of the Mystical Number Seven in Mesopotamian Culture"
Adela Harbro Collins, "Cosmology and eschatology in jewish and Christian Apocalypticism," 1966.
Bendt Alster, "Early Dynastic Proverbs and other Contributions to the Study of Literary Texts from Abu Salabikh," Archiv für Orientforschunb (1991/1992), 1 - 51.
Leonid Zhmud, "From Number Symbolism to Arithmology," Zahlen- und Buchstabensysteme im Dienste religiöser Bildung. L. Schimmelpfennig (ed.).Tübingen: Seraphim, 2019. P. 25-45.
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
00:00 Why so many 7s?
00:24 Near Eastern Context
5:03 Later Development of Sacred 7
5:59 Cross-cultural phenomenon?
7:18 Origin theories
10:46 Patreon
