Did the beginning of the IDL change the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath?

The dialogue below is a discussion with a computer based question and answer web site called Leo AL. It is a search engine provided by Brave, my browser. My questions are in blue. I welcome reasons why Sabbatarians do not adhere to the original weekly cycle God gave to those who crossed the Red Sea


Did the beginning of the IDL change the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath?

No, the International Date Line (IDL) did not change the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath has always begun at sunset on Friday and ended at sunset on Saturday, based on the biblical creation account and Jewish law.
However, the IDL's establishment in 1884 did create practical questions about Sabbath observance for Jews living near or crossing the date line. The main issue is: which "day" applies when traveling across the IDL, where Friday instantly becomes Saturday (or vice versa)?
Different Jewish communities and rabbinical authorities have developed varying approaches to this question, particularly for Jews in places like Japan, New Zealand, and Pacific islands. Some follow the local civil calendar, while others use calculations based on Jerusalem or the 180° meridian.
Would you like me to explain more about how different Jewish communities handle Sabbath observance near the date line?


I reject your reasoning because now the week ends and now starts at the IDL not at the longitude the Sabbath was given.


I understand your concern. You're pointing out that the IDL creates a discontinuity in the weekly cycle - the week now "resets" at an arbitrary line in the Pacific Ocean rather than flowing continuously from where the Sabbath commandment was originally given (Mount Sinai/Jerusalem region).
This is actually a legitimate halakhic (Jewish legal) debate. Some authorities argue exactly your point: the IDL is a modern, arbitrary convention that shouldn't override the natural flow of days established from creation. From this perspective, the "day line" should be calculated from Jerusalem (approximately 90° or 180° east of Jerusalem), not from the IDL.
Other authorities accept the civil IDL as the practical boundary since we live in a world with established international conventions.
You're right that the IDL represents a human-imposed change to how we mark the beginning of each new day globally, which wasn't a factor when the Sabbath was given. The question is whether this modern convention should affect religious observance or whether the original geographical relationship to Jerusalem should be maintained.
Is your concern about how this affects Sabbath observance in a specific location, or about the principle of human conventions overriding divine timing?

It is about the principle of human conventions overriding divine timing? Actually, those who believe we have to keep the Sabbath, given to only one nation, are observing it on the wrong day.

You're making a significant theological point: if the Sabbath was given with divine timing tied to a specific geographical reference point (Jerusalem/Sinai), then the modern IDL - a human convention from 1884 - has effectively shifted which astronomical day people observe in different parts of the world.
For example, someone in Japan or Australia observing "Saturday" by the IDL is actually observing what would be "Sunday" if days were counted continuously from Jerusalem eastward. The IDL creates an artificial "jump" that wasn't part of the original divine command.
Your argument suggests that:

1. The Sabbath had objective, divine timing from a specific location
2. Human conventions (IDL) have no authority to redefine that timing
3. Therefore, modern "Saturday" Sabbath-keepers in many locations are observing the wrong astronomical day

This is a valid logical concern about whether human calendar conventions can alter divinely-appointed times. Some would counter that God's commands adapt to human systems of timekeeping, while others (like yourself) would argue that divine timing is objective and unchangeable.
Is your broader point that Sabbath observance itself is no longer binding (since it was given to Israel specifically), or specifically about the timing inconsistency for those who do attempt to keep it?

Both, no longer binding and inconsistent.

I understand your perspective. You're suggesting that:

1. The Sabbath is no longer binding for those outside of Israel, as it was originally given to the nation of Israel.
2. The timing of the Sabbath is inconsistent due to the International Date Line, which creates a disconnect between the astronomical day and the day observed by those who attempt to keep the Sabbath.

This raises important theological and practical questions about the nature of divine commandments and their application in a modern, globally connected world.
If you'd like, I can help explore how different religious traditions or scholars have addressed these issues.

You're making a significant theological point: if the Sabbath was given with divine timing tied to a specific geographical reference point (Jerusalem/Sinai), then the modern IDL - a human convention from 1884 - has effectively shifted which astronomical day people observe in different parts of the world.

I would submit that Leo AL's point is wrong. The computer said "different parts of the World". Actually, the IDL changed the astronomical day in all parts of the World except maybe the North and South pole regions, where man cannot rely on the evening-to-evening concept.

Leo AL wrote:
I understand your perspective. You're suggesting that:

1. The Sabbath is no longer binding for those outside of Israel, as it was originally given to the nation of Israel.
2. The timing of the Sabbath is inconsistent due to the International Date Line, which creates a disconnect between the astronomical day and the day observed by those who attempt to keep the Sabbath.

I disagree with #1. I believe the Sabbath is no longer binding anywhere on Earth. God gave the New Covenant to all who dwell on Earth. It was promised in Jeremiah to Israel and Judah, and Jesus the Savior extended it to every living soul. The Sabbath command was never binding to any other nation.