Significance of the Number Seven (7)

For the three major monotheistic religions the number seven (7) plays a mysterious part in trying to decipher the eschalogical events of a purposed human extinction. The holy books of Christianity, Islam and Judaism are filled with references to the number seven (7) which mankind has been trying to decode the meaning for many centuries now.

The interesting thing about biblical mysteries is that many questions arise, but answers are seldom forthcoming to completely appease mankind's curiosity. The same can be said of the number seven (7).       

Seven (7) in Judaism:

When Moses wrote the Torah, the very first story in this holy book was referred to as the 'seven days of creation'. God created the world and all therein in six days and rested on the 7th day. (Genesis 2:2). Many stories will follow where the number seven is instrumental to various happenstances told by the prophets of antiquity. The following is a list of sevens and their multiples which can be found in the creation story of Bereishit (Genesis):

• 35 times (7x5) - Elokim (God)
• 21 times (7x3) - "Earth, earth or land"
• 14 times (7x2) - "day or days"
•   7 times  -  "Good"
•   7 times  -  "Water(s) beneath the heavens"
•   7 times  -  "heaven(s), sky [excluding heavenly sky]
•   7 times  -  "flying, fly, or birds"
•   7 times  -  "crawls, walks, land animals"

The Hebrew Bible presented the number seven (7) from the very beginning and continued the secretive sequence of the number throughout the rest of the Tanakh. Here are a few references to the number seven (7) in the Tanakh:

• Noah gathered every clean beast and bird by sevens. (Bereishit 7:2) [Gen 7:2]
• The rains of the Great Flood  came on the seventh day. (Bereishit 7:4) [Gen 7:4]
• Jacob served seven years for Leah and seven years for Rachel. (Bereishit 29:16-30) [Gen 29: 16-30]
• Egypt had seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. (Bereishit 41:29-30) [Gen 41:29-30]
• The walls of Jericho fall on the seventh day after seven priests with seven trumpets march around the city seven times. (Yehoshua 6:3-4) [Joshua 6:3-4]
• Elisha sent a messenger to tell Naaman to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times. (Melachim II 5:10) [2 Kings 5:9]
• King David praised God seven times a day for His righteous laws. (Tehillim 119:164) [Psalms 119:164]
• There are seven things detestable to the Lord. (Mishlei 6:16-19) [Proverbs 6:16-19]

Seven (7) in Christianity: 

In Christianity, the same sequences of the number seven (7) found in the Torah and Tanakh are also found in the Old Testament and the number seven (7) appears many times in the New Testament. It is estimated that the number seven (7) is mentioned in the Christian Bible more than seven hundred times (7x100)! Besides the number one (1), the symbolic significance attached to the number seven (7) is almost unrivaled when it comes to other numbers mentioned throughout the Bible. Here are a few references to the number seven (7) in the New Testament:

• Jesus turned seven loaves of bread into seven bucketfuls (Matt 15:32-37)
• The woman [when she was widowed] married seven brothers (Matt 22:25-29) 
• Jesus cast seven devils from Mary Magdalene. (Mark 16:9)
• Jesus told his Disciples, "if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; though shalt forgive him." (Luke 17:4)
• Seven men of honest report; filled with the Holy Ghost & wisdom. (Acts 6:3)
• Jesus spoke seven phrases on the cross (Mark 15:34; Luke 23:34, 43, 46; John 19:26, 28, 30)

It is interesting to note the Christian Bible also begins with the number seven (7) being instrumental in the creation story, but the holy book also concludes in Revelation with the number seven (7) being very prominent. The sequences of the number seven (7) found in Revelation are highlighted in the following verses:

1. Churches (1:4; 2:1-3:22)  
2. Letters (2:1-3:22)
3. Spirits (1:4;3:1; 4:5; 5:6)
4. Lampstands (1:12, 20; 2:1; 4:5)
5. Stars ( 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1)
6. Seals (5:1; 5:5; 6:1)
7. Horns (5:6)
8. Eyes (5:6)
9. Angels (8:2, 6; 15:1, 6, 7; 15:8; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9)
10. Trumpets (8:2, 6)
11. Thunders (10:3,4)
12. Thousand People (11:13)
13. Heads (12:3; 13:1; 17:3, 7, 9)
14. Crowns (12:3)
15. Plagues (15:1, 6, 8; 21:9)
16. Bowls (15:7; 16:1; 17:1; 21:9)
17. Hills (17:9)
18. Kings (17:10, 11)
19. Last 7 Visions (Chapters 20-21)                   

Many believe the New Testament builds on the symbolic significance of God's chosen number (7) and surfaces through the course of Christ's ministry unto the Revelation of the Prophet John [of Patmos]. 

Seven (7) in Islam:

As in Christianity and Judaism, the holy book of Islam is filled with the sacred number seven (7) and the second most prominent number [after the number one (1)]. There are seven (7) verses in the first sura (chapter) in the Qur'an. During the rituals of Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca) Muslims walk around the Kaaba seven times; pilgrims also walk or run between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah seven times [in reference to Hagar, mother of Ishmael, when she ran between the two hills in search of water for her dying son].

In reference to the number seven (7), the following can be found in the Qur'an:

• Yusef (Joseph) is asked to interpret the King's dream where seven fat cows were devoured by seven skinny cows and seven green spikes. (Sura 12:46)
• Muhammad spoke of seven sleepers, as revealed to him by the angel Gabriel. (Sura 18)
• Allah (God) created seven heavens one above the other. (Sura 71, 15-16)
• Muhammad mentioned 'seven pairs', and the Great Qur'an, using the story of Lot as a reference. (Sura 15:87)

It is also interesting to note that Islam believes there are seven (7):  heavens, skies, layers of the Earth, big sins/vices, doors to Hell, levels of Hell, gates of Hell ... Among all the prominent numbers throughout the Qur'an, seven (7) is the first number mentioned [in Sura 2:29] and refers to "seven heavens". Throughout the Qur'an, "seven heavens" is mentioned seven (7) times. But, to go one step further, from the first time that seven (7) is mentioned until the last time the number is mentioned [in Sura 78:12] there are 77 chapters in between (7x11); from Sura 2:29 through Sura 78:12, there are 5,649 verses which is also a multiple of seven (7).

The Hadith of the prophet Muhammad states: "Avoid the seven sins of polytheism, witchcraft, the killing of the soul which Allah has forbidden except by right, consuming riba, consuming the wealth of the orphan, to escape from the battles and slandering chaste women."

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Many scholars and theologians of biblical antiquity question and debate whether the number seven (7), with its numerical precision, is a coincidence or a factual sign of divine intervention. It is definitely one of the greatest mysteries that remains in obscurity even unto our modern times. There is no doubt that this sacred number and its multiples are found throughout all the holy books of the Abrahamic religions and each respective religion continues to explore and seek out the meaning of the number seven (7).

Mystery of "Naamah"

Naamah or Na'amah (Hebrew: נעמה‎) is used as a female given name in contemporary Israel. Literally, it means the "Pleasant One". The interesting thing about the name Naamah, is that all biblical references to this certain female name is shrouded in mystery. The feminine name refers to:

• Naamah (Genesis), the daughter of Lamech the Cainite. In some extra-Biblical traditions, a "Naamah" also appears as Noah's second wife, who is sometimes said to be a daughter of Enoch

• Naamah (wife of Solomon), mother of Rehoboam

• Naamah (demon), an angel of prostitution, one of the succubus mates of the archangel Samael in Zoharistic Kabbalah

Naamah of Genesis

Marble bas relief at Orvieto Cathedral depicts
Naamah as a teacher of reading, while her half-brother,
Jubal, is the father of music.

This individual named Naamah is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in Genesis 4:22. She was a descendant of Cain (brother of Abel and Seth) and the daughter of Lamech and Zillah; she was the only daughter of Lamech mentioned in Genesis and purported to be the youngest child. Naamah was a sister to Tubal-Cain and she was a half sister to Jabal and Jubal (sons of Lamech by his other wife, Adah). There is much controversy as to who this woman actually was. (See: Naamah: Bible)

In the Jewish midrash, Naamah is identified as the daughter of Lamech, sister of Tubal-Cain and as the wife of Noah (in reference to Rashi's commentary on Genesis 4:22). Robert R. Wilson, Hoober Professor of Biblical Studies and a former chair at Yale University for the Biblical Studies Department, suggests that the person who accounted the story of Genesis simply wished to offer a balanced genealogy by noting that both of Lamech's wives (Zillah and Adah) had two children. However, Gordon Wenham notes that the reason "she should be picked out for special mention remains obscure."

It is worth mentioning, there was a Sethite "Naamah" mentioned as the wife of Noah and the daughter of Enoch, Noah's grandfather, in the medieval Book of Jasher (trans. Moses Samuel c. 1840, ed. J. H. Parry 1887) Chapter 5:15. And, the 17th century theologian, John Gill, associated Naamah instead with the name of the wife of Ham, son of Noah, whom he believed may have become confused with Noah's wife. (See: Wives aboard the Ark) 

Regardless, this Naamah was said to be the most beautiful woman in the pre-flood period of Noah's day.

Naamah, Wife of Solomon

Depiction of Naamah, wife of Solomon

This particular female named Naamah was an Ammonite who was the wife of King Solomon and the mother of Rehoboam, the heir to the Jewish kingdom. According to 1 Kings 14:21-31 and 2 Chronicles 12:13 in the Hebrew Bible, she was the only one of Solomon's wives to be mentioned as having borne a child. 

The Ammonites had a fluctuating relationship with Israel [it was anything but stable] and some scholars of religion believe the marriage between her and King Solomon was a political strategy to restore a semblance of friendly relations between Solomon's kingdom and the realm of Ammon. It is commonly suggested that Naamah used her influence to help the two states live in harmony. King Solomon was known to use marriage to cement relations between Israel and other surrounding nations. It is interesting to note that Naamah was revered in the Bava Kamma (38b) for her righteousness. It also states that Moses was warned by God not to make war upon the Ammonites, as Naamah was to descend from them.   

While this ancient queen was a woman of mystery, she definitely lived through one of the most brilliant periods of Jewish history.

Depiction of Naamah & Azael

Naamah the Demon

In the Zohar, Naamah was portrayed as a demonic angel of prostitution, but how she became a demon remains unclear. She was also the mother of divination. She appears in the  Zohar as one of the four angels of sacred prostitution and a "mate" of the archangel Samael. Being one of the four original queens of the demons, she shared her notoriety with Lilith, Eisheth Zenunim, and Agrat Bat Mahlat. There are a few stories attributed to this female demon:

• After Cain killed Abel, Adam separated from Eve for 130 years. During this time period, two evil female spirits, Naamah and Lilith, visited Adam and bore him children. (Zohar 3:76b-77a)

• Also in the Zohar, Naamah corrupted Aza and Azael, two fallen angels. (Zohar: Genesis: Chapter XXXII). It is written that these fallen angels co-habituated with Naamah, daughter of Lamech, and sired the sedim (Assyrian guardian spirits)... hence her becoming a demon? Purportedly, Azael is chained in a desert where he will remain until Judgement Day. (ref: De Plancy, Dictionnaire Infernal)

• In the Misrash Petirat Mosheh, these fallen angels (Azazel and Ouza), who revolted from God, came down from Heaven and was corrupted.

• In the Occult Philosophy, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa lists four evil angels as the opposites of the four holy rulers of the elements, and among the evil ones Azazel is included.

If this particular queen of the demons ever existed is still opened for debate among many theologians and scholars of religion; however, her wicked ways continue to be somewhat elusive to those who believe.

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The Etymology of this female name is argued among the current scholars even unto this day. Whether "Naamah" refers to either her virtuous nature or to her evil angel status, it will continue to be a controversy among the theologians of ancient religious studies. And, the biblical women named Naamah [in the Tanakh/Old Testament] will most likely remain a controversial unsolved mystery.