Three Days and Three Nights
Re: Three Days and Three Nights
True. I was trying to find an example I ran across decades ago, when studying this passage, but which I could not locate. It was from an archaeological dig where the record of a quarantine of "five days and five nights" was found to refer to a period of three whole days, and portions of days before and after. I can't locate it now. However, it convinced me that such an idiom was indeed used in the ancient Near East.
Re: Three Days and Three Nights
rstrats,
You wrote:
Looking at the Esther story the following seems possible:
1. Let's say the fasting started on Friday morning. Friday night makes day 1.
Saturday morning and evening makes day 2.
Sunday (the "3rd day") Esther appears before the King.
Here we have two days, two nights, and part of a day.
2. The fasting began on Thursday evening and continued through daytime Friday, which makes day one.
Friday night and daytime Saturday fasting make day two.
Saturday night the fast continues and Sunday Esther appears before the King.
Here we have three nights, two whole days, and part of another day.
3. The fasting began Thursday afternoon and continued Thursday night which makes day one.
Fasting all of Friday and Saturday makes day two and three.
Esther appears before the king on Sunday afternoon, ending the fast, which makes three calendar
days a nights, but is on the fourth day, not the third.
How do you see the Esther story?
You wrote:
I am unsure of what you are after. Is it your contention that the "three days and nights" must include all of the three days and all of three nights?Esther says" three [calendar] days, night or day" and not "three days [light periods] and three nights [dark periods]" But even if the two phrases mean the same thing, there is nothing in the Esther account that positively precludes at least a part of each one of the days and at least a part of each one of the nights.
Looking at the Esther story the following seems possible:
1. Let's say the fasting started on Friday morning. Friday night makes day 1.
Saturday morning and evening makes day 2.
Sunday (the "3rd day") Esther appears before the King.
Here we have two days, two nights, and part of a day.
2. The fasting began on Thursday evening and continued through daytime Friday, which makes day one.
Friday night and daytime Saturday fasting make day two.
Saturday night the fast continues and Sunday Esther appears before the King.
Here we have three nights, two whole days, and part of another day.
3. The fasting began Thursday afternoon and continued Thursday night which makes day one.
Fasting all of Friday and Saturday makes day two and three.
Esther appears before the king on Sunday afternoon, ending the fast, which makes three calendar
days a nights, but is on the fourth day, not the third.
How do you see the Esther story?
Re: Three Days and Three Nights
Homer,
re: "I am unsure of what you are after."
I'm looking for some writing from the first century or before that shows a phrase stating a specific number of days as well as a specific number of nights when it absolutely couldn't have included at least a part of each one of the specific number of days and at least a part of each one of the specific number of nights.
re: "Is it your contention that the 'three days and [three] nights' must include all of the three days and all of three nights?
No.
re: "How do you see the Esther story?"
I see it as not providing the information asked for in the OP.
re: "I am unsure of what you are after."
I'm looking for some writing from the first century or before that shows a phrase stating a specific number of days as well as a specific number of nights when it absolutely couldn't have included at least a part of each one of the specific number of days and at least a part of each one of the specific number of nights.
re: "Is it your contention that the 'three days and [three] nights' must include all of the three days and all of three nights?
No.
re: "How do you see the Esther story?"
I see it as not providing the information asked for in the OP.