# Significance of 7 and 12 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-of-7-and-12/120847 "2002-07-25T23:48:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Animal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Animal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animal)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-of-7-and-12/120847/1 "2002-07-25T23:48:24Z")
There are 7 days in a week. There are 12 months in a year. Who made this up? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-of-7-and-12/120847/2 "2002-07-25T23:52:10Z")
Seven days are from the Bible. The months of the year has been explained by Cecil. Check the archives. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-of-7-and-12/120847/3 "2002-07-26T01:07:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Gaspode \* > \*\*Seven days are from the Bible. \*\* No, they are not. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-of-7-and-12/120847/4 "2002-07-26T01:28:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\* > > No, they are not. \*\* Let’s have [Cecil](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_166.html) settle this one, too. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-of-7-and-12/120847/5 "2002-07-26T10:19:40Z")
So _it is_ from The Bible. > [@](#): > > _Cecil Adams:_ > The Mosaic sabbath defined a seven-day period, and the dispersed Jews who observed it may have influenced the establishment of the seven-day week–it first appears in the early Christian era. ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-of-7-and-12/120847/6 "2002-07-26T11:16:17Z")
I know that Cecil is (per definition) correct, but I would still like to state that [the Calendar FAQ](http://www.pauahtun.org/CalendarFAQ/cal/node6.html#SECTION00610000000000000000) has the following to say: > [@](#): > > Digging into the history of the 7-day week is a very complicated matter. Authorities have very different opinions about the history of the week, and they frequently present their speculations as if they were indisputable facts. The only thing we seem to know for certain about the origin of the 7-day week is that we know nothing for certain. > > The first pages of the Bible explain how God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. This seventh day became the Jewish day of rest, the sabbath, Saturday. > > Extra-biblical locations sometimes mentioned as the birthplace of the 7-day week include: Babylon, Persia, and several others. The week was known in Rome before the advent of Christianity. So while I acknowledge that Cecil is correct, I would like to point out that other authorities (heathens who do not believe in the divine inspiration of the Master) question that line of reasoning. I would also like to point out that this very subject was discussed earlier this week, when \*\*CalMeacham \*\* noted the following: > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by CalMeacham in [Centimeter? Degrees? 60s?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126843&)_ > \*\*As for the seven day week, I’ve always suspected that it was the result of taking a lunar month of 28 days (again, slightly edited from its true value for ease of calculation) divided by four main phases (full, first quarter, new, last quarter). > \*\* It makes a lot of sense to me too!