How many days of creation were there?

Answer 1

Seven (Genesis ch.1). The seventh introduced rest; cessation.Note:

According to tradition, there is only one Genesis creation-narrative, with ch.2 serving as an expansion of the brevity of ch.1, not a separate set of events (Rashi commentary, Gen.2:8).The same literary devices which the Torah employs to enrich its text, have been used by Bible-critics in an attempt to reassign its authorship.

While Judaism has always seen the Torah as an intricate tapestry that nonetheless had one Divine source, some modern authors such as Wellhausen (the father of modern Biblical-criticism, 1844-1918) have suggested artificially chopping up the narrative and attributing it to various authors, despite the Torah's explicit statement as to its provenance (Exodus 24:12, Deuteronomy 31:24). This need not concern believers, since his claims have been debunked one by one, as Archaeology and other disciplines have demonstrated the integrity of the Torah. No fragments have ever been found that would support his Documentary Hypothesis, which remains nothing more than an arbitrary claim, whose falsehood has been pointed out:

http://religion.answers.com/theory/debunking-the-jepd-documentary-hypothesis

http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=1131(a Christian author)

And see also the wider picture:

http://judaism.answers.com/hebrew/does-archaeology-support-the-hebrew-bible

Answer 2

In the Book of Genesis, there are two different creation accounts. The first account (Genesis 1:1-2:4a) says that there were six days of creation and that God rested on the seventh. The second creation account differs in the order of creation and does not tell us how long creation is meant to have taken.

The scientific answer is that creation took an immensely long time and that, in this context, days are meaningless.

For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/theology/the-story-of-creation

Answer 3

seven