Towson University - Tower Echoes Yearbook (Towson, MD)

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THE TOWER LIGHT . Seven s is the case with the mystic number three, the number seven is found widely distributed. Seven is scattered throughout the Holy Bible. In the beginning, our Bible tells us, God created heaven and earth in six days, and rested on the seventh. Thus, we have a seven-day week, and the seventh day is a day of rest. God is conceived as embodying seven spirits: the spirits of Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Power, Knowledge, Righteousness, and Divine Awfulnessg there are seven spirits around His throne, Michael, Gabriel, Lamael, Raphael, Zachariel, Anael, and Oriphel. Ten times seven Hebrews went into Egypt, and were kept in bond- age for ten times seven years. There were ten times seven elders. Pha- raoh's dream, as interpreted by Joseph, signified seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. The Egyptians mourned for Israel threescore and ten Cseventyl days, Joseph mourned for his father seven days. Moses married Zipporah, one ofthe seven daughters of Reuel, the priest of Midian. Mosaic Law states that a bought Hebrew servant shall serve for six years, but shall be free in the seventh year. Male oxen or sheep were to be with the dam for seven days, then sacrificed. The three great Jewish feasts last seven days each. Levitical Puri- flcations lasted seven days. Q The seven senses of man, as given by the Bible, are animation, feel- ing, speech, taste, sight, hearing, and smelling. Our Three Graces comprise the first three of the seven virtues: Faith, Hope, Charity, Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, and Temperance. The seven deadly sins are Pride, Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Avarice, and Sloth. Christ said we are to forgive our offenders seventy times seven offenses. The Lord's Prayer is divided into seven parts. We have the seven words from the Cross. In the New Testament, we find the parable of the seven wise and the seven foolish virgins. The Book of Revela- tion, in fact, is literally packed with sevens. There are the seven joys of the Virgin Cthe Annunciation, the Visi- tation, the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation in the Temple, the Finding of Christ with the Learned Men, and the As- sumptionD, and the seven sorrows of the Virgin CSimeon's Prophecy, the Flight into Egypt, Christ missed, the Betrayal, the Crucifixion, the TakingDDown from the Cross, and the Ascension when she was left alone . The seven churches in Asia were those at Ephesos, Smyrna, Per- gamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. 23

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THE TOWER LIGHT NEW NON-FICTION 1. North to the Orient by A. M. Linbergh The special charm of this book is that it is written by a woman who though she knows her subject thoroughly, is still able to maintain a 1ayman's point of view. She knows how to present revealing details which a professional aviator might take for granted. Her account of the flight to the Orient by way of the Great Circle Route-from Long Island to the northernmost reaches of Canada and Alaska, along the coast of Siberia to Japan, then up to Nanking-is full of vivid and colorful pic- tures. Mrs. Lindbergh gives full and clear cut pictures of peo- ples and places, her experience as a radio operator, long hours of flying through fog on an unknown route and strange recep- tions in foreign lands. The book is indeed individualistic, not so much for its account of an epoch-making flight, but as a travel book of the air. 2. Mary: Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Stefan Zweig Mr. Zweig's purpose in writing this biography is to present to the reader a dispassionate and unbiased reconstruction of Queen Mary's career and character. Almost anything a historian needs to know is contained therein. There are court records, letters, memoirs, and trial testimonies. Abilities and weak- nesses Calthough they resulted finally in political and econom- ical benelits to her country but meant tragedy to herb are ac- curately presented. Mr. Zweig, noted for his tolerance and wis- dom, has written another biography that is sure to become as popular as Marie Antoinette. The Pulitzer Prize Winner, Now in November by Josephine Johnson, and the Harper Prize Novel, Honey in the Horni' by H. L. Davis, are now in our library. These are only a few of the many new books you will find good reading. W. J., 4th Sr. Ql The visitor called at the village library. May I have the 'Letters of Charles Lamb? he inquired. You're in the wrong building, Mr. Lamb, said the new clerk pleasantly. The post oflice is just across the street. 22

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. ' THE TOWER LIGHT Today in many of our churches, we still have the seven-branched candlestick. Before we leave the discussion of seven in the Bible, it may be in- tersting to note that there are seven recognized bibles. These are the Bible of the Christians, Eddas of the Scandinavians, Five Kings of the Chinese, Tri Pitikes of the Buddhists, Koran of the Mohammedans, three Vedas of the Hindus, and Zendavesta of the Persians. There were the Seven Champions of Christendom: St. George of England, who was imprisoned by the Black King of Morocco for seven years, St. Denys of France, who lived for seven years in the form of a deer, St. james of Spain, who was seven years dumb, out of love for a fair Jewess , St. Anthony of Italy, who was rescued from his spell of deep sleep by the three sons of St. George who put out the magic fire of the seven lamps with water from the enchanted fountain, St. Andrew of Scotland, who delivered six ladies who had lived seven years under the form of white, swans , St. Patrick of Ireland, and St. David of Wales who was released from his enchanted sleep of seven years' dura- tion by St. George. It is believed by some that there are seven planes to heaven. Ancient wise men who dabbled in the more or less lpseudo-chemis- try of their time, expounded these seven bodies of alc emy: the Sun, gold, the Moon, silver, Mars, iron, Mercury, quicksilver, Saturn, lead, Jupiter, tin, and Venus, copper. Greece had seven sages: Solon of Athens, Chilo of Sparta, Thales of Miletos, Bias of Priene, Cleobulos of Lindos, Pittacos of Mitylene, and Periander of Corinth. H Then there is the constellation which ancients of the Eastern Hem- isphere called The Seven Sisters, and ancients of the Western Hem- isphere thought of as The Seven Brothers. No doubt, you have often wondered just exactly how many Seven Wonders of the World there are. At our last count, there were at least twenty-one Ca multiple of sevenj. First, there are the Ancient Seven Wonders : the Pyramids of Egypt, the Babylonian Gardens, the Tomb of Mausolus, the Temple of Diana at Ephesus, the Colossus of Rhodes, the statue of jupiter at Elis, and the Palace of Cyrus. Next, we have the Seven Wonders of the Middle Ages: the Colosseum at Rome, the Catacombs at Alexandria, the great wall of China, the ruins at Stone- henge, England, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Porcelain Tower of Nanlcing, and the Mosque to St. Sophia at Constantinople. Recently, anonymous birth appears to have been given to a brand new set of Seven Wonders - The Seven Wonders of the New World. These are Niagara Falls, Yellowstone National Park, the Garden of the Gods, Mammoth Cave, Yosemite Valley, the Giant Redwoods of Washington Oregon, and California, and Natural Bridge. 24