I am not sure if these will suffice as some are from scripture and only one is an outside source, the Babylonian Talmud.
In Genesis 42, Joseph commands his brothers to be placed in prison for 3 days, but before the third day ends he brings them out. (Part of the day counted as a day). From 1786-1570 BC
David stumbles upon an Amalekite slave that had been abandoned for 3 days and 3 nights but the slave said it was only 3 days. Don’t know if this would show if Hebrew time reckoning was applied to the slave’s comment or it shows that the Amalekites also used the same reckoning for time. Somewhere between 1048 BC and 1011 BC.
Rehoboam tells Israel to give him three days to determine an answer and he gives it on the third day, instead of waiting for the night of the 3 day. C 931 BC
I Kings 20 states the armies camped for 7 days, but it was on the 7th day that they started to fight. (Part of the day counted as a day). Somewhere between 874 - 853 BC
In Esther 4:16 She tells all the Jews to fast for 3 days and three nights. Afterward, she would go to the king. In Esther 5:1 She goes to the king after 3 days have passed. C 479 BC.
Rabbi Elezar ben Azariah wrote “A day and night are an Onah and the portion of an Onah is as the whole of it.” (Jerusalem Talmud:Shabbath ix.3 and Babylonian Talmud:Pesahim 4a). Mishna, C 200 AD and Talmud C. 500 AD.
You’re looking at a span of over 1500 years in which a part of a day was considered a whole day.
And again, that “someone new” needs to be someone who believes the crucifixion took place on the 6th day of the week with a 1st day of the week resurrection, and who thinks that the “heart of the earth” is referring to the tomb, and who tries to explain the lack of a 3rd night by saying that the Messiah was employing common figure of speech/colloquial language of the period.
re: “‘there is no original text’ - Nietzsche
who knows the exact phrase spoken in Aramaic which was translated from hearsay into ancient Greek and again into Latin before being rewritten by hand into English (and a myriad of other languages)”
Jews looked at the night as an inherent part of a day, otherwise any multiday event that started during the daylight hours would have one less night. Seven days and seven nights appears to be just another way of saying, “day and night for seven days” (Leviticus 8:35).
There is no case where the Bible says seven days and six nights even when the time period starts during the daytime. For example consider this passage from Job:
When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. Job 2:12-13
If the visitors arrived after dark, they would not have been able to see Job from a distance, so they had to come during daylight. Assuming they left in the morning there would be seven periods of daylight but only six periods of darkness, but that would still be “seven days and seven nights”. Even if they left in darkness, that would count as a part of the next “day”.
“Three days and three nights” is simply another way of saying “day and night for three days”.
I believe the day ended and night began at the dusk chorus, as birds began to detect the fading of the light, and workers had time to end their toil and get home during the fading light of nightfsll. And the day began at the dawn chorus as birds began to detect the lightening of the darkness and workers could know that the daylight was arriving.
rp5x5,
re: “You have a concern about the topic, but do not post any of your own opinion.”
Point 4 of the OP gives an “opinion”. In addition, another opinion is that if someone says that it was common to say that a daytime or a night time would be involved with an event when no part of a daytime or no part of a night time could be, then they would have to know of examples to legitimately make the assertion of commonality.
re: Do you have some doubt you are trying to resolve?"
No, at least not for the purpose of this topic. I’m simply curious.
