Season 3: Episode 102
The Sabbath—Its Ancient Origins and Evolution
Date Aired: 2/24/2025
The Jewish sabbath (Shabbat), observed from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, is one of the oldest continuously observed holidays in existence. At first glance, the sabbath seems pretty straightforward; it’s a “day of rest” that God commanded his people to observe on the seventh day. But when you read the Hebrew Bible really closely—like our guest Jon Levenson does—you run into all sorts of intriguing questions. Was the “seventh day” the same as the sabbath? Was the sabbath a day or rest or a day of bad omens? What does shabbat even mean in Hebrew?
Listen to the episode on the Biblical Time Machine website or wherever you get your podcasts.
Disclaimer: The Society of Biblical Literature is not responsible for the content of this podcast. The opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Society of Biblical Literature, its members, or its staff.
