Polycarp was as Nazarene….which meant he kept the 7th day sabbath..
The use of these two expressions (“day of the preparation” and “the day of the great Sabbath”) strongly indicates that those in Polycarp’s area were still keeping the Sabbath as well as Holy Days, like the Passover, in the latter portion of the second century. Otherwise, since Asia Minor (including Smyrna) was a Gentile area, the terms “preparation day”, which was generally used in reference to the Friday preceding the weekly Sabbath day (since food preparation could be done on the annual sabbaths, but not on the weekly Sabbath), and “great Sabbath” would not have been relevant.
Just in case the lunar contenders are lurking with a Clement quote from the stromata….the context of that quote with the rest of the historical data available is speaking of ceremonial festival sabbaths and not the weekly day….
Polycarp and the Sabbath keepers
“Polycarp…Born late in the reign of Nero, he became a Nazarene.”
Hoffman , David. Chronicles from Cartaphilus: The Wandering Jew. Published by , 1853. Original from the University of Michigan. Digitized Sep 7, 2007, p. 636
Hebrew Messianic Israel 