wider outlook. In America, too, the idea of
transferring the Sabbath to Sunday was broached by some leading Reform
rabbis and met with hearty support on the part of their congregations.
Since then a more conservative view has taken hold of most of the liberal
elements of Jewry also in America. While divine service on Sundays has
been introduced with decided success in many cities and eminent preachers
bring the message of Judaism home to thousands that would otherwise remain
strangers to the house of God and to the influence of religion, the
conviction has become well established that the continuity with our great
past must be upheld, and the general feeling is that the historical
Sabbath should under no condition be entirely given up. It is inseparably
connected with the election of Israel as a priest-people, while the
Christian "Lord's Day" represents views and tendencies opposed to those of
Judaism, whether considered in its original meaning or in that given it by
the Church.(1473) The Jew may properly use the civic day of rest in common
with his Christian fellow-citizen for religious devotion and instruction
for young and old; it will supplement his neglected Sabbath service, until
conditions have changed. Perhaps the Jew in Mohammedan countries may even
at some time observe Friday as is done by the Mosque, and accordingly
consecrate this day in common with his fellow-citizens. Still, between the
Sabbath observed by the Church and the one of the Mosque stands the Jewish
Sabbath in solemn grandeur and patriarchal dignity, waiting with Israel,
its keeper and ally, for the day when all humanity will worship the one
holy God of Abraham, and when our ancient Sabbath may truly become the
Sabbath of the world.

8. In all lands time was originally regulated by the movements of the
moon, which are within the observation of all. The alternation of its
increase and decrease divided the month into two parts, which were then
subdivided into four. Therefore the original month among both the
Babylonians and the Hebrews consisted of four weeks of seven days each,
the last day of each week being the Sabbath, the "day of standstill," and
two days of the new moon.(1474) Both the new moon and full moon were
special days of celebration,(1475) and later two other Sabbath days were
added between them to correspond to the four phases of the moon. Still
later the week was detached altogether from the moon and made a fixed
period of seven da