this forum is EVIL!!!

[cartaugrapher]

so I looked at the number of posts that were on "general discussion" and I saw an evil numbers (of evilness!!)

 

[CrazyMonkeyDude]

That's nice, but what does this have to do with the mod?

 

[Tentadrilus]

The devil's number is 616.

 

[Wrath]

Really then who have I been calling this whole time? :?

 

[Tentadrilus]

Probably the Roman Emperor Nero. Apparently 666 was his code.

 

[Tull]

I believe both of them are the same number. IIRC Nero was actively persecuting christians, thus making him on the same side as satan or something. Anyway, it was never really the number of the beast untill someone decided to interpret it as that.

 

[Thothie]

Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it a human number; and his number is 666.

The issue with the idea that 666, has anything to do with the Roman Emperors or Christian prosecution, is that the same numerical reference appears in The Book of Daniel, which is an extra-biblical text that Revelations is a re-creation of. The Book of Daniel was written, by Jews, in 164BC - fifty plus years before any Roman Emperor was even born, and well before there were any Christians.

Since this book was taken out of context from other Hebrew texts, it loses the accompanying explanations regarding the Kabbalic numerology though, and thus the meaning of the metaphor is lost. The name "Adam" is written "ADM" the Kabbalic value for which is 9. In Hebrew Mysticism this is the number used to represent mankind as a whole. To represent a force mirrored and divided against itself in the Tree of Life, it is doubled and triplicated. The resulting icon would be: 666(=18/2=9) - representing the will of the whole of humanity to prevent its own progress from the material to the godhead.

Both Apocalypses make reference to 144,000 people being saved. The components of 144,000, however, also add up to 9, suggesting that the whole of humanity will be saved. (Whether it means within them or by extension, is up to you, but it's a common stunt in Hebrew Mysticism to instill fear to cover some more profound esoteric truth until one is ready for it.)

It also has various other numerological values. The fact that it is a triangular number is significant from a Pythagorean view, giving it additional mythological impact. It also cosies nicely with the Greek number of Jesus (888).

Still, there's some argument as to whether the number of the beast even IS 666 - or 616. In several pre-canonized copies of Revelations it appears as 616. Indeed, at Nicaea, this was declared to be a misinterpretation, but to this day, the oldest existing copies of Revelations read 616. Some think the number was subsequently changed to 666 for the greater mythological value, as while the number appears in Daniel, it does not do so in the same context.

As an engine of prophecy, however, it can mean anything you damned well want, and has been used against everything from the Roman numerals in the name of a Pope to the bar code on a lot of Oreo cookies to do so - and that's where Nero comes in. The Greek letters in Nero's name add to 666. Just as do the Roman numerals in the Pope's title: Vicarius Filii Dei (Vicar of the Son of God). Emperor Caligula's Greek letters, incidentally, add up to 616 - but you would be hard-pressed to say which of those two Roman Emperors was the worst, and this methodology can be extended to a neigh infinite number of likely suspects.

 

[Tentadrilus]

Papyrus 115, which is one of the most recently decyphered papyrii to do with the Bible (I don't know much about this stuff, you see), suggests that the number is 616, although the Bible suggests it's 666. It's all bloody confusing. There's more references to the number 666 in the Bible than there is of 616 anywhere else. Balls.

 

[vecraude]

That was deep thothie, real deep...I tip my hat to you sir. +300 praise