Sabbath
A sabbath is a day reserved for rest or prayer, usually each week. The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat (שַׁבָּת). This word is built from the Hebrew root Sh-B-T, meaning rest.
In the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, the root Sh-B-T is used to describe God resting on the seventh day. This is the day after He finished creating the universe.[1] In the Bible, the idea of Shabbat, or Sabbath, as a holy day of rest starts there.[2]
Remembering and keeping Sabbath is also one of the Ten Commandments.[3] From that, the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) all have a tradition of a holy day of rest or prayer set aside every week. These days are now very different from each other, including which day of the week they fall on.
- Jews observe Shabbat or Shabbath on Saturday.
- The Sabbath in Christianity is usually observed on Sunday but a few Christian denominations observe it on Saturday (e.g. Seventh-day Adventist Church).
- In Islam, Muslims hold a communal prayer, known as Jumu'ah, every Friday just after noon.
Similar ideas
In addition:
- Different rituals of people called witches have been called Witches' Sabbath.
- A sabbatical is a paid break or rest from work.
Sabbath Media
Welcoming the Sabbath with the lighting of Shabbat candles according to Jewish custom.
For the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Seventh Adventist Christians, and Samaritanism Sabbath begins Friday at sundown and ends at Saturday sundown. Thus the sunset is a common symbology of the Sabbath.
Related pages
- Sabbath in Christianity
- Gregorian calendar (Christian)
- Hebrew calendar (Jewish)
- Islamic calendar (Muslim)
References
- ↑ Genesis 2:1-3
- ↑ Some scholars believe that the writers of the Bible got the idea of the Sabbath from the Babylonians. See, for example, Craveri, Marcello (1967). The Life of Jesus. Grove Press. p. 134. ASIN B00DLK4P48.
- ↑ Exodus 20:7-10 and Deuteronomy 5:11-14. Some translations have different verse numbers.
