Do beavers have daylight savings time? This question is never answered in this curious video, which argues that beavers (yes, the fluffy rodents) keep the Jewish Sabbath day?!
This has supposedly been scientifically proven. Scientists all over the beaver-inhabited world marvel at the fact that these hard-working Rodentia stop their activities at Friday evening and keep their peace until Sunday morning, roughly corresponding to the Biblical Sabbath. Apparently, honeybees also stop working on Saturdays.
Eh, wut?
Sources please! The provenance of the video might perhaps explain a thing or two. It´s apparently uploaded by a Seventh Day Adventist. The SDA Church keeps the Sabbath on Saturdays, in contrast to most Christians, who argue that Sunday became the new Sabbath when Jesus was resurrected on that particular day. Thus, the argument is that the original Sabbath must be the true and eternal one, since even Nature itself still follows it.
It seems even the person or persons who uploaded the video aren´t entirely convinced, since in the commentary section, they argues that the beavers mentioned are just one specific colony rather than the entire species. Which the video explicitly does *not* say - it claims that all Castor are Sabbath-keepers. Besides, the claim that only one unique beaver colony follows God´s injunctions would be equally sensational!
I suppose this gives an entirely new meaning to the term "natural theology". I´m at loss for words. Yeah, really.
I think I was about 12 yrs old when I realized that it *really* wasn't Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or any day, except we name the days that way and most everyone (in the West) agree to it. Just like it really isn't 2024, or 10:11 central time, we just agree to call it that. Islam and Judaism (year 5785) use different systems! So "Keep the Sabbath Holy" refers to Saturday, not Sunday, except for most Christians. I guess my thoughts go to why do these folks need to cram their observations into a *religious* context. Also the moon phases sems like a better way to keep track of time, as we did "many Moons ago!"
ReplyDeleteAlso, more likely that a rodent living near water would be influenced by Moon phases. Maybe lake tides? OK, I honestly don´t know, but it struck me just now. Or even the Moon reflecting itself in the water... Crazy comment, don´t take too seriously!
ReplyDeleteIn large urban areas here the light pollution at night obscures most stargazing and if it's cloudy the moon (if it's over the horizon) is hidden as well, so that really wouldn't work. Was it the Ottomans who came up with the base 60 system of navigation and time telling? I'd like to see a paper on "How Jesus knew what time it was" or the Greek philosophers etc. But beavers knowing what time it is? Not so much. Another point found on christianforums (Beavers keep the Sabbath thread) is the 28 day cycle of women's menstruation. Instilled by G-d from the moment of Eve's creation. Not sure if this is a credible report source, but could be the instigator of the whole mess.
ReplyDeletehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27830946/
Whoa! Time to call CSICOP? Here is Wiki:
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronobiology_International
Note that three of the authors of the weird paper are former editors of the journal publishing it!
Haa haa yes! And wiki's article on the skeptics is a good one too. But it's likely chronobiology has some truth in it. Just not "instilled by G-d."
ReplyDeleteOr is it?
Exactly, maybe it´s a somewhat obscure field of research that has been taken over by some kind of fringe faction. Orthodox Jews? Hence "G-d".
ReplyDeleteTime to call in the Conservative and Reform Jews, LOL!
ReplyDelete