- A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616.
- The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now a team of expert classicists, using new photographic techniques, are finally deciphering the original writing.
- Professor David Parker, Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham, thinks that 616, although less memorable than 666, is the original. He said: "This is an example of gematria, where numbers are based on the numerical values of letters in people's names. Early Christians would use numbers to hide the identity of people who they were attacking: 616 refers to the Emperor Caligula."
- The Book of Revelation is traditionally considered to be written by John, a disciple of Jesus; it identifies 666 as the mark of the Antichrist. In America, the fundamentalist Christian right often use the number in sermons about the coming Apocalypse.
- They and satanists responded coolly to the new "Revelation". Peter Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan, based in New York, said: "By using 666 we're using something that the Christians fear. Mind you, if they do switch to 616 being the number of the beast then we'll start using that."
- ©2005 Independent News & Media (UK) Ltd.
- http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/story.jsp?story=634679
Revelation! 666 Is Not The Number Of The Beast
by Pleasuredome 12 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Pleasuredome
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iiz2cool
I'm surprised that they think the number 616 is something new. When I was a kid (and a Catholic) I bought a copy of the new testament at my church. In Revelation there was a footnote that stated that some of the old manuscripts said 616 rather than 666.
Walter
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Narkissos
It seems to be a newly discovered witness to an already well-known variant, already mentioned by Irenaeus and present in codex C (5th century). 616 has been explained in a number of ways: Hebrew gematria of nrw qsr (Nero Caesar = 616) instead of nrwn qsr (Neron Caesar = 666), Greek gematria of Kaisar theos (Caesar God = 616), etc.
One detail fwiw: 666 is a so-called "triangular number" (sum of 1 + 2 + 3.... + 36), just as other NT symbolical numbers (John 21:11, 153 fish; Acts 27:37, 276 people on the boat); 616 is not.
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zen nudist
616 was mentioned in the footnotes of the old large sized black NWT bible....
one thing many dont think of is that 666 is an anomoly in english and has no resemblance in the greek letters
which look more like X3S [looks a bit like sex backwards?]
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BrendaCloutier
which look more like X3S [looks a bit like sex backwards?]
And just like sex backwards, it doesn't work????
Sorry, couldn't resist.
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hmike
Since the book of Revelation was written, people have attempted to associate 666 with a specific individual--Nero, Hilter,... . The most humorous was President Ronald Wilson Reagan because he had 6 letters in each of his three names.
Personally, I'm not sure it was meant to be a literal number anyway, and, even if it was, I don't think it was meant to be connected with anyone in particular. The text just says it's the "number of his name" and "man's number"--meaning that this individual would be a human and not some supernatural creature.
If 6 is a number of human completeness, three 6s would make sense. In any case, we would have to assume that 616 is an aberration until there is more evidence to the contrary. Whoever first used 616 may have wanted to force Emperor Caligula into the picture.
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zen nudist
If 6 is a number of human completeness, three 6s would make sense. In any case, we would have to assume that 616 is an aberration until there is more evidence to the contrary. Whoever first used 616 may have wanted to force Emperor Caligula into the picture.
the thing is that it was not three 6's but a greek number for 6 a different one for 60 or perhaps 10 and another for 600, which dont have the same visual appeal in greek at all.... so it cannot be related to 3 -6's as it never was that.
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NeonMadman
Phew. I'm glad I saw this thread, because otherwise, when they came around and wanted to stamp "616" on my right hand and forehead, I would have gone right along with it...
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Satanus
Well, that's new light for ya.
S
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LittleToe
ROFL @ Neon.