Testing the Faith: 666 wrong number of prophetic beast?

Wold Net Daily ^ | 05/08/05 | satff

[Perdogg]

For centuries, people have been intrigued by the number 666, the "number of the beast" from the Book of Revelation in the New Testament.

Not only is it mentioned in the Bible, it has been associated with the Satanism, universal price codes and the game of roulette, as the numbers on the wheel add up to 666.

Now, the legendary number is getting a fresh look, as researchers are re-examining evidence the number may actually be 616.

Fragment from Book of Revelation mentions 616 in the third line – chi, iota, sigma (courtesy Egypt Exploration Society)

In the King James Version of the Bible, the well-known verse of Revelation 13:18 reads:

"Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."

While many Bible have footnotes saying the number translated from the original Greek could be 616, experts say new photographic evidence of an ancient fragment of papyrus from Revelation indeed indicates the number is indeed 616, instead of 666.

Scholars in England have been using modern technology to scour some 400,000 bits of papyri which were originally discovered in 1895 at a dump outside the ancient Egyptian city of Oxyrhynchus. Many of the sections have been damaged and discolored, but an imaging process is shedding new light on the sacred text, believed to have originally been penned by John, one of Jesus' 12 apostles.

"This is a very nice piece to find," Ellen Aitken, a professor of early Christian history at McGill University, told Canada's National Post. "Scholars have argued for a long time over this, and it now seems that 616 was the original number of the beast."

The papyrus in the spotlight is believed to be from about 300 A.D.

"This is very early confirmation of that number, earlier than any other text we've found of that passage," Aitken said. "It's probably about 100 years before any other version."

The main researcher promoting the 616 claim is David Parker, professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham in England.

"This is an example of gematria, where numbers are based on the numerical values of letters in people's names," Parker told the UK's Independent. "Early Christians would use numbers to hide the identity of people who they were attacking: 616 refers to the Emperor Caligula."

Many commentators have gone with later copies of text which assign the number 666 to "the beast," believed by some to be the End-time world power.

Some have also linked 666 with Nero, the ancient Roman emperor known for persecuting Christians.

Parker points out the possibility of 616 was considered by the second century church father Irenaeus, who rejected it.

Regarding this new text, Parker told Britain's Church Times, "This adds weight to those who believe that it is a reference to Caligula's attempt to desecrate the Temple in Jerusalem, by having his statue erected there as part of the cult of emperor worship.

"There may be a reference to it in Mark [13:14], where he refers to the 'the abomination of desolation.' But this was overlaid by the Neronian persecutions. People believed that you could get from '666' to Nero because in Greek he is the emperor Neron Caesar. And 666 is one number less than the perfect 777. The text [showing 616] is quite legible to the naked eye. It was published in 1999, but it has taken people time to catch up."

The National Post quotes Elijah Dan, professor of philosophy and religion at the University of Toronto, as saying the new number won't likely have an impact in the popularity of 666.

"Otherwise, a lot of sermons would have to be changed and a lot of movies rewritten," he said with a laugh. "There's always someone with an active imagination who can put another interpretation on it. It just shows you that when you study something as cryptic and mystic as the Book of Revelation there's an almost unlimited number of interpretations."

[aimhigh]

No conspiracy there, just an effort to make a foreign religion palatable to their people.

Corruption by any other name is still corruption. To give the Gnostics a creditable cause for their doctrine and efforts is hogwash.

[followerofchrist]

Whatever. I am not real well versed on Gnostic doctrine. I just know that when people are introduced to Christianity, they naturally integrate it into their own beleif system and culture, which generally includes ancestral religions. We Europeans did. Christmas and Easter are perfect examples of this. We even converted some Pagan Gods and Goddesses to Catholic saints. I don't think Christ minds, as long as he is the center of our universe.

Speaking of our Lord, sometimes I feel He is not with me. Then I pray real hard and He answers, so specifically. My atheist friends do not understand. For example, I have an older vehicle. It has been really hot here lately. I got a second job waitressing to make ends meet and this one job takes me 15 minutes up a large incline. The day before yesterday, I got a second waitressing job right up the road in my rural town. As I was driving uo a large hill in my old vehicle I said "Jesus, thank you for giving me this second job because if my car breaks down, I will not have a problem getting to work." On my way home, my vehicle started spitting antifreeze on my windsheild. The last time that happened my mechanic put some powerful stop leak in it and said "get another car." So I am faced with a situation where I can't work the first waitressing job if my car dies. I truly believe Jesus arranged for this second job because he knows what is coming! And this afternoon I got a lead on a really cheap car.

Damn the atheists. Only if they knew the advantages to being a Christian!...

[followerofchrist]

"Corruption by any other name is still corruption. To give the Gnostics a creditable cause for their doctrine and efforts is hogwash."

There's not always a conspiracy, or corruption. If we were to examine the history of European Christianity the same could be said. It certainly does not resemble a Hebrew religion. As you know, and as is recorded in the bible, there was much dissent, and infighting regarding how the new religion would take shape. I see the Gnostics the same way I see any non-Christian tribe striving to make Christianity "theirs." I take no issue with cultural differences. Now, I admit I am not an expert on the Gnostics, but I have read some of their gospels. Some could say Catholics "corrupted" the religion too, but they merely made it their own. The difference here is that Catholicism was instrumental in the spread of Christianity and the Gnostics were not. From what I have read, I see alot of value in the Gnostic gospels, though I don't take them as my own. I consider their gospels to be a record of their observations of Christ, nothing more and nothing less. As you know, human beings put the bible together. The oldest complete bible in existence contains the Epistle of Barnabus. Why was it taken out? Did God do this, or did man? Who wrote the New Testament? I think what is important, rather than quibbling about whose gospel is THE gospel, is to let the holy spirit guide you. I recognize, quite clearly, who Christ is and what He represents in my life. That is what is important. He has made me a better person and has placed in me a desire to be honest and generous and good. Jesus is my conscience. I know that in my heart.