Symbolism of the 7 number
Soften recognized and appreciated for its symbolic richness, the number 7 is found in a large number of traditions, beliefs, legends and religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc.)
The interventions of 7 in the Bible are numerous. Recall:
- God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th.
- Noah introduced into the Ark 7 pairs of clean and unclean animals and 7 birds of the sky. He had 7 sons who each received a particular gift from the Lord.
- The 7 colors of the Rainbow that shone after the flood were considered the sign of the alliance between heaven and earth.
- 7 Angels stand in front of the Lord.
- There is 7 patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, David).
- The 7 branches of the sacred candlestick.
- Cain's crime will be avenged 7 times.
- Moses remained 7 days in prayer.
- 7 nations were exterminated by Israel.
- 7 fat cows and 7 lean cows, 7 full ears and 7 empty ears.
- 7 trumpets made 7 times around Jericho.
- In Scripture it says: The righteous will fall 7 times and rise again while the wicked sink into evil.
- Christ pronounced 7 words on the Cross before dying.
- 7 Churches, 7 Sacraments.
- The 7 deadly sins (septenary division that we find).
- The leper must be doused 7 times with the blood of a sparrow.
- Whoever touched a corpse was impure for 7 days.
In other traditions
In some peoples, the number 7 has a very rigorous sacred character, to such an extent that it is absolutely forbidden to pronounce it in the secular domain. An extraordinary power is attributed to the word and no one would ever dare to break this prohibition. The sacrilegious individual would be rejected by the whole group and the existence of the latter would be threatened if there were not important ceremonies of purification.
The necessities of everyday life made it necessary to have recourse to an artifice and led to the creation of a figure
Folk tales and legends are myths emptied of their religious meaning over the ages. Remember, Snow White and the 7 dwarfs, the 7 brothers of Tom Thumb and the 7 girls of the Ogre, the 7-league boots, etc.
7 days of the week correspond to 7 planets. By arranging these 7 planets in the order of their distance from the Earth, at the ends of a star with 7 branches and by traversing it along the branches we obtain the exact succession of the days of the week.
For the alchemists, also corresponded to the 7 planets (the Sun, the Moon, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Mars and Mercury) the 7 metals: Gold, silver, tin, copper, lead, iron and mercury. These 7 metals evolved within the Earth from the lowest stage (the lead) down to the purest form (theor).
Recall:
- the 7 notes of the range
- the 7 colors of the solar spectrum
- the 7 wonders of the world
- Rome, the city with 7 hills
- the wise 7 of Greece
- the 7 Kings of Rome
- the 7 gates of Thebes in front of which 7 heroes appeared 7 cyclopes
- the 7 defenders of the people of Thespies.
Periodically, Athens sent to Crete 7 young men and 7 girls destined to be sacrificed to the Minotaur.
The rhythm of human life is subject to the number 7
- The age of 7 years corresponds to an important physiological transformation (in particular, the second teeth). We can consider that at this moment begins the real development of the personality and the sense of responsibility.
- The average age of puberty is around the 14th year.
- At 21 years of age begins the full development of human maturity. Development is generally considered to end only in the 28th year.
- A new physiological evolution of the human body occurs at the 49e year.
- The age of 70 is sometimes considered the normal end of human life.
Cycles match 7 or multiples of 7
- The human menstrual cycle is 21 days.
- The human fetus starts his individual life 7 weeks after conception. Its development is specified at the 10e week and it is viable at the 7e month.
Ancient physicians attached great importance to the 7th, 14th and 2nd days of the month, which were considered critical dates. In all fevers, one can observe a paroxysm on the 7th day. It is classic to speak of the septenary of pneumonia or the three weeks of typhoid. The thermal cures last 21 days.
A large number of incubation and gestation periods in the animal world are multiples of 7 days: