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Originally a list of the seven most remarkable structures of the Ancient World were set down in a travel guidebook of the Alexandrian Period about two century B.C. Only one of these seven, The Great Pyramid has survived, and it has undergone much deterioration and pillaging, especially during the past 500 years. The tradition of the "Seven Wonders," however has inspired succeeding generations to compile countless lists since the Alexandrian Era. Changing attitudes of man and society have been reflected in these lists. Engineering skills and aesthetic values are still conspicuous in the selections, but wonders of nature, man-made structures designed for their utility, and the remarkable, though often less visible wonders of science and invention have gained prominence. The Number Seven Why Seven? This question naturally arises among readers less conditioned to the number symbolism. Pythagoras, sixth century B.C., had maintained that the number seven belonged to sacred thing. Seven was considered a number of completeness because it combined the perfect numbers three and four, perfect in their spatial representation as triangle and square. Many applications of the number seven are found in the New Testament . The story of creation, establishing the seventh day as sacred, the Sabbath, is an example, hence seven days in the week. There were the:
Medieval scholars recognized:
Other examples proving the importance of Seven are:
Thus innumerable instances are available, ancient and modern, extending across the "seven seas" and encompassing the "seven continents". |
