Unrelated... what is with the Bible and the number 40?
40 years of this, 40 days and nights of that. When things happen for a long time it's 40 units of time.
hmmm
Discussion
Apparently it marks a period of preparation or purification before something new begins.
Read that again.
Fun fact: During Covid you heard the word Quarantine a lot. Which you may think was 14 days. Nope!!!
That word comes from the Italian quaranta giorni—meaning forty days. (Quaranta .... think quarter which is a fourth)
Historically, it was the exact amount of time ships had to wait outside Venice during the Black Death...
A full 40 days of waiting, testing, and cleansing—
Before being allowed to enter.
So the word Quarantine basically just means con"tain" yourself for 40. So then you cab start something new.
49 was likely chosen in this sense to prevent the spread of disease as well as having Biblical influence.
Remember Quarantine ≠ 14
Quarantine = 40