On Wed, 07 Mar 2018 22:13:36 -0800, "shadow at shadowgard.com (via tml
list)" <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote:

>On 7 Mar 2018 at 12:45, Jeff Zeitlin wrote:
>
>> The phrase "metaphysical significance" is used as shorthand for
>> indicating that something has significance to a culture for reasons
>> other than grounded in real, measurable phenomena. As an example, the
>> seven-day week of most modern cultures is ultimately based on no more
>> than the creation legend in scripture; thus, 'seven' has metaphysical
>> significance.

>Actually the 7 day week is based on there being 7 visible "planets"
>(objects that move across the sky but aren't fixed stars). Those are
>the Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter & Saturn (more or less
>in order of how easy to notice they are).

>Other cultures on earth have had shorter weeks. When I researched
>this sort of thing in the 70s, I know I came across 5 day weeks.
>There might have even been someplace with a 4 day week.

And longer weeks; consider the Roman eight-day 'nundial' between market
days, or the French Revolutionary 'decade'. I question the alignment of the
week with the visible planets beyond coincidence; neither the Jewish
calendar (pretty damn old) nor the Hijri calendar (only about 1400 years
old) name the days based on them (I don't know the translation of the
Arabic names; the Hebrew names are simply "Day One" to "Day Six", plus
'Shabbat', or sabbath.).

>You might want to check this out:
>
>https://www.tondering.dk/claus/calendar.html
>
>(aka The Calendar Faq)

Claus has some good information there, but I think some of what he has
there includes some biased assumptions that he doesn't back up, and which I
find questionable. I also think he spends too much time and effort on his
"When is Easter" discussion, and not enough on some other calendars.

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