the Hebrew day of rest. The division of the month or moon into four weeks of seven days each may be traced to the plains of Mesopotamia, from which the Hebrews journeyed westward, but the date and place of the institution of the seventh day of the week as a day sacred to Jehovah is unknown. The "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy" of the Ten Commandments seems to imply that it was already a sacred day among the descendants of Abraham. The proper observance of the Sabbath was a point of much controversy among the Jews, and varied at different periods of the national history. Instances are related of an enemy taking advantage of the reluctance of the Hebrews to perform military service on the Sabbath. Even massacres are said to have been perpetrated and to have forced the Hebrews to concede the necessity of defensive warfare on all days of the week. In captivity the Hebrews found it difficult to observe the day among so many peoples of adverse notions. In the reign of Nehemiah the gates of Jerusalem were closed at sunset on what we are accustomed to call Friday evening to prevent the entrance of the merchants of Tyre with their camel loads of merchandise, "who brought all manner of ware and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah." Customarily the Judean Sabbath began at sunset; hence earlier in the valleys than on the hill tops, and lasted through the following day and evening until three stars were visible. The Hebrew Sabbath fell on our Saturday. The Jewish church still observes the seventh day as a day of rest and worship, as do likewise the Seventh-day Adventists and some other denominations. The exact time and circumstances under which the first day of the week was adopted as a day of worship are not known, but it is thought that the early Christians, first of all, and very naturally, ignored the Jewish Sabbath, and that meetings were held so frequently on the first day of the week, being the traditional day of the Lord's resurrection, that custom grew into law. Later, with the revival of Bible reading, the Jewish regulations relative to the observance of the seventh day, as well as the name of Sabbath, were transferred by the Christians to the first day, or Sunday. In Puritan England and in New England the Sabbath began at sunset Saturday. In mid afternoon there was hurrying around to provide fuel and do chores to make ready ere the sunset. All day Sunday a solemn stillness settled over the land--the very traveler on the road must show reason why he should not be reproved for violating the Sabbath. Sunday afternoon children stood with their faces flattened against the window panes watching the slowly descending sun. The moment it sank behind the hill they issued out with shouts of joy for evening sport. The name Sunday, by which the first day is known, is a Saxon word meaning the day of the sun. Being a heathen name, the Quakers and Puritans prefer First Day. For a similar reason, no doubt, the Scotch Presbyterians cling to the name Sabbath day. The proper observance of the Sabbath is still a large question. As to the need of resting from work there is no doubt. Both man and beast can accomplish more work by resting. One day in seven seems in accord with experience. Travel presents the most complex question. It has never been customary for seagoing ships to furl their sails on Sunday. Ocean steamers continue their voyages as a matter of course. In addition to the question of the extent to which pleasure boats, trolley lines, and excursion trains should run on Sunday, there is the question of through traffic. Railroads very generally meet the question by continuing suburban service on Sunday. What are known as local trains, both passenger and freight, are laid off on Sunday. Through passenger trains run seven days in the week. The same rule holds with reference to through freights carrying perishable goods. See SUNDAY.