The universe exists for the Sabbath

I was pondering lately the structure Genesis One. Cody Moser is talking about Myth as Model: origin myths in general ... provide shared narrative frameworks for aligning and coordinating members of a group. What better time to poast than before reading the thesis...

Genesis One starts the whole Bible, not just for Jews and Samaritans but also for Christians. Muslims are aware of an origin-story - sura 7 sort-of prologues it all - but that's secondary to its revelation to the Prophet.

With Genesis-One, Judaism and Samaritanism ties the seven day week with the foundation of the universe. This is at tension with... Judaism and Samaritanism, inasmuch as even the basest fundamentalist intuits that humans came to the scene after the scene was already set, with night, day, sun, moon, oceans, sea creatures, and birds(!). It is on Day Six when animals finally get out onto land and stay there. (Dinosaurs before even reptiles is an... odd flex.) On Day Seven, Walton says that's when God ascendeth the Throne, misinterpreted as a snooze.

As a summary of Creation, 'tis flawed. And as justification for solar-calendar, projected to 364 days, it's off by a bit. On the other hand the dynamicists tell us that the days will become longer relative to the year (also lengthening) so... maybe it's prophecy.

Where Genesis One does serve, is as parable. Of Cosmic Order, of the duties of a state-founder, and of the centrality of a calendar. We get six days to work, and one day off (or at least set-aside for administrivia). This has proven to work well for populations as have adopted it.

Christians can point to other myths, like that in Paradise Lost. These myths cannot tie the seven day week with the Big Bang and, honestly, not even with our Solar System; I don't know that any myth can.

In the "Orange Catholic Bible", perhaps the Sabbath could instead be delayed: as God relenting from some of the punishments inflicted after Eden.