Isn’t it true that at the Council of Nicæa, between A.D. 321-324, Roman Emperor Constantine changed the Holy Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday?

Answer: Certainly this is what many of us were taught, however it has since been discovered that this statement contains a little truth and a little error. The truth is, that indeed Emperor Constantine changed something – he changed the calendar weeks from a pagan eight-day successive week cycle to that of a seven-day successive week cycle. Then he christened Sunday, the first day of his new week, to be the Holy day in honor or Yahushua’s resurrection.

You see the Hebrews and Christians were under Roman Rule for nearly 300 years and forced to abide by Roman laws, customs, holidays and calendation. Few are aware that the early Julian calendar was an eight-day successive week pagan calendar, which would have been a most painful burden for the Hebrews and early Christians to bear. Roman legislation strictly forbade them from keeping their New Moons, Sabbaths and Holy Feast days according to the calculations of the moon, as set forth from Scripture in Genesis 1; Exodus 12, 19; Leviticus 23; Ezekiel 46:1; Revelation 12:1.

Constantine saw this change of the week as a fitting compromise – for now the Hebrews and Christians would have a “seven-day week” once again. However, this new calendar’s week was to be according to the pagan system of unbroken successive chains of weeks, and would not follow the Scriptures specific calendar details.

It has been assumed for 1700 years that Constantine changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. There is no reference of it being moved from a Saturday to a Sunday. Since Rome had been keeping an eight-day calendar, the Sabbath had never found a home, thus he did not move it from one place on the Roman calendar to another. What actually happened was that by giving the Hebrews and Christians a seven-day week they were able to finally find a home for their homeless Sabbath, albeit it was not in accordance with Yahuwah’s algorithm as beaconed by the New Moon and followed by four seven-day weeks, but it was the best they had. In the name of compromise, most went along with this new calendar arrangement. The Rabbinical Jews openly admit this. This is why they still keep Saturday as their Holy Sabbath. The Karaite Jews however took the road less traveled – taking their uncompromising Yahuwah-given oracles of truth underground to preserve them.

1st Century (A.D. 70)
How great are the things the enemy did wickedly in the Holy place. They hated your glory in the midst of your solemnities. They placed their signs and banners on the highest places. . . . They burned with fire your sanctuary; they befouled the tabernacle of your name in earth. The kindred of them said together in their hearts; make we all the “feast days” of . . . [Yahuwah] to cease from the earth. Psalms 74:3, 7, 8  Wycliffe Bible 1378

2^nd Century (Emperor Hadrian)
This change from the luni-solar to a fixed solar calendar occurred in Rome during the repressive measures which were enacted against ALL Jewish customs . . . during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. With the fall of the Nazarene headquarters...at Jerusalem, this new Roman calendar quickly spread throughout ‘Christendom.’ This new calendar not only replaced yearly festival dates such as Passover, but it also revamped the concept of the week and its seventh day. Iranaeus 2^nd Century A.D.

2^nd & 3^rd Century (Clement of Alexandria)
In the years following Clement of Alexandria’s time, an ominous change started to take place that was to radically change the Christian concept of the Sabbath.” Records the Encyclopedia Biblica: “This intimate connection between the week and the month was soon dissolved. It is certain that the week soon followed a development of its own, and it became the custom – without paying any regard to the days of the month (i.e. the lunar month) -- . . . so that the New Moon no longer coincided with the first day of the month. Then, on page 4179 of the same encyclopedia, we read: “The introduction...of the custom of celebrating the Sabbath every 7^th day, irrespective of the relationship of the day to the moon’s phases, led to a complete separation from the ancient view of the Sabbath. . . The MacMillan Company, 1899. p. 5290).

4^th Century (Emperor Constantine in 321)
The modern seven-day week came into use during the early imperial period, after the Julian calendar came into effect, apparently stimulated by immigration from the Roman East. For a while it coexisted alongside the old 8-day nundinal cycle, and fasti are known which show both cycles. It was finally given official status by Constantine in 321. Roman Calendar Encyclopedia, Days of the Week