Beastly Tales

[firetto]

Why is the number of the beast "666"?

[Mr Bear]

There are many websites on this . Here are a couple of the more sensible ones: http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/666.htm http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mike666.htm

[Jabba]

Two points: (i) 7 in the Bible is the holy number, the number of perfection. Thus 6 is the number which falls just short of perfection. (ii)From the Oxford Annotated Bible:"Of countless explanations, the most probable is Neron Caesar (in Hebrew letters)". From the Oxford Bible Commentary: "The Greek word used for beast (therion), transliterated into Hebrew letters, has the value 666, as does the name Nero(n) Caesar, written in Hebrew script. The implication is that Nero's very name reveals his true nature to the discerning."

[Jamie Lewis]

I always thought that 666 was the sum of some sort of Hebrew code that the writer of Revelation created. With each letter of the Hebrew alphabet representing a number, and then working backward the 666 represented either Emperor Nero or Julius Caesar. Might be just ******** but I thought I'd share that with you.

[passatman]

I thought it was because 666 upside down is 999 and that's the emergency services number, which is a source of good, so because the devil is bad he is like an upside down good person.....so this makes perfect sense....to me anyway.....I'll get my coat!

[lambsbell]

999 has been taken

[Trillipse]

take it back to ancient hebrew, and the 666 becomes www - now when you relate this to the whole garden of eden story, with the knowledge of good and evil being the source of mankind's downfall, you can see where i'm going with it. probably best understood if you're also familiar with the tower of babel story: mankind gradually tries to achieve godlike powers through the futile pursuit of more and more knowledge - from the very basic state of innocence and bliss, he becomes more and more burdened with his reliance on his own knowledge and power : hence the statement in revelations that no man shall be permitted to trade without the mark of the beast on his right hand or forehead; human barcoding is the next logical step from id cards and storecards and credit cards and so on. a simpler way of tying people down in to the new world order where knowledge is power. the number itself may or may not have any significance.

[jno]

Recent deciphering suggests the number was actually 616 - see here

NB also: 668 - neighbour of the Beast; 666DD bra size of the Beast; 666F temperature for roast Beast etc.

[jno]

hmm, that link didn't work, it deleted a bracket. Here it is in full: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_of_the_Beast_(numerology)