In 1999, Time magazine named Bob Marley’s album Exodus as the greatest album of the 20th century. The title comes from the second book of the Bible, which tells the story of the Israelites refusing to accept slavery, and G-d leading them to freedom. Biblical themes of breaking free from Babylon, the journey to Zion, and all of us being G-d’s creations, abound in Bob’s music. In my previous article, I discussed the Shabbat and its origins. While it’s unclear whether Bob Marley himself observed a weekly Sabbath, he was part of a Rastafarian group which observed a day of rest. The most common explanation for a weekly day of rest comes from the biblical creation story, where G-d made the world in six days and rested on the seventh.

That is the reason given when the Ten Commandments are first presented in the book of Exodus.

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy … . For, in six days, the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11)