The mystical nature of prime numbers is unlikely to have been posited before 500 BCE by Greek mathematicians, 17 centuries after the seven days became popular. Why is it that every prime number greater than the first two is either one less or one more than a number divisible by six?

@waitingforgodo Well the problem with this thesis is that the center of research and knowledge during that age was Alexandra and most of that knowledge was burned by Christian fanatics under orders from the Patriarch Cyril after the public murder and rape of Hypatia so we have no real way of knowing just how much was really lost.

@waitingforgodo In any case the Greeks did know and understand prime numbers.
[hellenicaworld.com]

Allowing some light raillery of your esteemed self I'd say your contention is petitio principii. The creation myth on the seven clay tablets of the Enūma Eliš is dated to 1900BCE whereas Babylonians counting from the new moon the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th days as holy days is dated to their Gutian dynasty of 2200BCE.

@waitingforgodo The Jews when writing their new religion after being expelled from Palestinian by the Assyrians stole much of their ideas from the Babylonians. Much of Leviticus and the 10 commandments all come from there.

So we are all God's ejaculate?!! And here I thought we were all made of stars. Thank you for introducing me to a new concept!

"The primes two, three, and five all produce products less than ten when multiplied together, while four, six, eight, and nine are products." So much for 2x5 and 3x5.

Seven days in the week may have come from counting according to the quarter moon, half moon etc.

Speaking of prime numbers isn't it spooky that prime numbers bigger than three are always one less or one more than a number divisible by six. You heard it here first. It's a miracle.

@waitingforgodo Sorry, when I said, "all produce products less than ten ", I meant all 'can' produce products of ten or less.

The moon theory does not appeal much, since a lunar month is actually nearer to twenty nine and a half days, it is more likely that the cerimonial month of twenty eight days, was made to fit the magic four and seven numbers rather than the other way round.

Not a Snman.

@waitingforgodo english please

@Mofo1953 Sn man.

@waitingforgodo english please

@Mofo1953
SN internet slang = Say Nothing

@LenHazell53 i don't speak internet. I speak english, spanish, portuguese, italian and latin though.

@Mofo1953 here is an English word "Abbreviation"

@LenHazell53 abbreviation is english. SN as Say Nothing is no recognized abbreviation or acronym in the english language at all. Even in snapchat it doesn't mean what you claim it means, albeit snarkily, as it stands for Screen Name. [acronyms.thefreedictionary.com]

@AnneWimsey quite right inner moment of whimsy I plagiarised the post about the number forty. Nonetheless the reason for the number of days in a week is similarly quite the thriller and I would note that while e^i*pi + 1 means 0 to me, there is money in numbers. All the best Anne.

@waitingforgodo knitting? Parchesi? Online Scrabble?

ai

Great link. It's religious but the topic of the post is the number 7 and the Bible. I don't think there's a scientific reason for there to be seven days. I could be wrong. [atlasobscura.com]