The Number of the Beast

Book of Revelations

The Book of Revelations, written around the year 95, is attributed to a man named John. This text, the last canonical book of the New Testament, introduces the infamous number 666, referred to as the number of the beast. Gary Arndt explains that the early Christian church, a small community scattered around the Mediterranean, often communicated in code due to persecution by Roman authorities 1.

   

Authorship and Dating

The authorship of the Book of Revelations is debated, with some attributing it to John the Apostle and others to a different John of Patmos. Gary notes that the text was likely written during Emperor Domitian's reign, a period marked by Christian persecution 1. The practice of using letters as numbers, known as gematria in Hebrew and isopsephi in Greek, plays a crucial role in interpreting the number 666 2.

   

The Number 666

The number 666 is believed to refer to Emperor Nero, a figure despised by early Christians. In Hebrew gematria, Nero's name translates to 666, providing a coded way for Christians to discuss their oppressor 2. Interestingly, some ancient texts list the number as 616 instead of 666, adding another layer of mystery to this enigmatic figure 2.