We will begin this study with a reading from The Gospel of the Egyptians
a member of a Roman Catholic chapter or convent appointed for the week to sing the chapter mass and lead the recitation of the canonical hours
Biblical Use
From Ancient Greek ἑβδομάς (hebdomás). Compare Latin hebdomas.
εβδομάδες G1439.1 - Apostolic Bible Polyglot Concordance, Strongs-AB Number G1439.1
Leviticus 25:8 Καὶ ἐξαριθμήσεις σεαυτῷ ἑπτὰ ἀναπαύσεις αὐτῶν, ἑπτὰ ἔτη ἑπτάκις, καὶ ἔσονταί σοι ἑπτά ἑβδομάδες ἐτῶν ἐννέα καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη.
“Sabbaths of.” Heb., shabbethoth´; Lat., ebdomades, “weeks.”
“Sabbaths of years.” Greek, hebdomadeseton´, “weeks of years.” Compare Da 9:24 ftn, “Weeks.”
The Hebrew expression yohm hash·shab·bath´ is drawn from the verb shavath´, meaning “rest, cease.” (Ge 2:2; 8:22)
God set the pattern for the whole Sabbath arrangement, from the seven-day week to the Jubilee year that followed the seven-times-seven–year cycle. (Ex 20:10; Le 25:2, 6, 8)
The sabbath is on the seventh day it is a day of rest therefore seven symbolizes rest
The Hebrew word for “week” (shavua`) literally refers to a sevenfold unit or period. The Greek word sabbaton, in turn, is derived from the Hebrew word for Sabbath (shabbath´).
Luke 18:12 I fast twice in the week <4521>, I give tithes of all that I possess.
The Jewish Sabbath is from from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Saturday is named after the planet Saturn.
Seven is so universally used as a mystical number that its basis must be in some fundamental arrangement of the natural world.
Because there were seven planets in the sky (the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn),[1] it was commonly agreed that there were seven of these beings ruling as a hebdomad who were called “archontes” (principalities or rulers).[2]
[1.] This dependence upon the number seven is quite common in pre-Christian religion. The Jews, for example, believed that these seven planets were ruled by seven archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Selaphiel, Jegudiel, and Barachiel. (Each of which corresponded to the seven days of the week, respectively.)
[2.] In modern Greek, the seven-day week is called an hebdomada.
Hebdomas; The kingdom of the "Seven", referring to the seven Archangels. The seven archangels are name in the First Book of Enoch
The seven pillars which wisdom built a house are understood by valentinians to refer to the planetary heavens, the habitation of the Sophia herself was placed above the Hebdomad in the Ogdoad (Extracts from the Works of Theodotus. 8, 47):
47 Now the Saviour became the first universal creator. “But Wisdom,” the second, “built a house for herself and hewed out seven pillars” and first of all she put forth a god, the image of the Father, and through him she made heaven and earth, that is “heavenly things, and the earthly” – the things on the right hand and on the left. (Extracts from the Works of Theodotus)
The idea of seven archangels is most explicitly stated in the old testament Apocrypha, Book of Tobit when Raphael reveals himself, declaring: "I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand in the glorious presence of the Lord, ready to serve him." (Tobit 12:15) The other two archangels mentioned by name in the Bible are Michael and Gabriel.
The Book of Enoch (also known as 1 Enoch)
8:4 And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven to the holy angels who watch.
20:1 And these are the names of the holy angels who watch.
20:2 Uriel, one of the holy angels, who presides over clamour and terror.
20:3 Raphael, one of the holy angels, who is over the spirits of men.
20:4 Raguel, one of the holy angels who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries.
20:5 Michael, one of the holy angels, who, is set over the best part of mankind and over chaos.
20:6 Saraqael, one of the holy angels, who is set over the spirits, who sin in the spirit.
20:7 Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over the Garden of Eden and the serpents and the Cherubs.
20:8 Ramael, one of the holy angels, whom God set over those who rise.
Isaiah 11:2 2 and the Spirit of God shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness shall fill him;
Revelation 4:5: And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
9. Now this world is encompassed by seven heavens, [87] in which dwell powers and angels and and angels and archangels, doing service to God, the Almighty and Maker of all things: not as though He was in need, but that they may not be idle and unprofitable and ineffectual.
The word Hebdomad occurs also in the Clementine Homilies. The mystery of the Hebdomad there unfolded (Hom. xvii. 10) is an independent exposition of the six days' work of creation, and the seventh day's rest; illustrated by the six directions, into which infinite space extends, viz. up, down, right, left, backward, forward, together with the central point considered as making a seventh.
Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily XVII/Chapter 10
Chapter X.—The Nature and Shape of God.
“This is the mystery of the hebdomad. For He Himself is the rest of the whole who grants Himself as a rest ( “Rest,” of course, points to the number seven the Sabbath Day.) to those who imitate His greatness within their little measure. For He is alone, sometimes comprehensible, sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes limitable, sometimes illimitable, having extensions which proceed from Him into infinity. For thus He is comprehensible and incomprehensible, near and far, being here and there, as being the only existent one, and as giving a share of that mind (the ogdoad) which is infinite on every hand, in consequence of which souls breathe and possess life; and if they be separated from the body and be found with a longing for Him, they are borne along into His bosom, as in the winter time the mists of the mountains, attracted by the rays of the sun, are borne along immortal to it. What affection ought therefore to arise within us if we gaze with our mind on His beautiful shape! But otherwise it is absurd to speak of beauty. For beauty cannot exist apart from shape; nor can one be attracted to the love of God, nor even deem that he can see Him, if God has no form. (Clementine Homilies Chapter 10)
The hebdomad symbolizes rest, but it is surpassed by the ogdoad, wherein is the promise of gnostic perfection.
Clement of Alexandria says that those who reach the highest levels of perfection have not remained in the hebdomad of rest, but have advanced into the inheritance of the benefit of the ogdoad (ὀγδοαδικῆς εὐεργεσιάς).
The material world is a shadowy, flawed version of the Pleroma, the two worlds sometimes being referred to as the Hebdomad (from hebdomas, meaning ‘seven’, a reference to the seven spheres of the material and Ogdoad (from ogdoas, meaning ‘eight’, referring to the eighth heaven), respectively.