actually, the 666 is 616 when correctly translated ....Bible scholars found the original texts and realized it was mistranslated as the infamous 666.
Various cultures consider certain numbers superstitious.
Photograph by Interfoto, Alamy
Published September 13, 2013
Today is Friday the 13th—a day thought to be unlucky because of the idea that number 12 is "complete" (think apostles, months of the year, zodiac signs) and 13 is just ... odd. That's the explanation given by Joe Nickell, a senior research fellow and paranormal investigator for Skeptical Inquirer magazine.
But in other countries, different numbers are thought to be just as unlucky. In case 13 makes you nervous, here are five other numbers to avoid.
4: In China, the pronunciation of the word for the number four is similar to that of the Chinese word for death. Many buildings in China skip a fourth floor, just as U.S. builders sometimes omit floor 13.
9: Just as the number four has a bad-luck soundalike in Chinese, 9 is feared in Japan because it sounds similar to the Japanese word for torture or suffering.
17: Some Italians are superstitious about Friday the 17th because rearranging the Roman numeral XVII can create the word "VIXI"—translated from Latin to mean "my life is over."
39: The number 39 gets a bad rap in Afghanistan. An NPR report explains: "Many Afghans say that the number 39 translates into morda-gow, which literally means 'dead cow' but is also a well-known slang term for a procurer of prostitutes—a pimp." So when Afghans see a car with number 39 on the license plate, they head the other way.
666: Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia means fear of the number 666. In the Bible's apocalyptic Book of Revelation, John the Apostle refers to 666 as "the number of the beast." This "beast" is often interpreted as being the Antichrist—and thus the number is a sign of the devil.
Can you add to our list of unlucky numbers from around the world?
12 comments
95 is a good number in Thailand because when pronounced together it means stepping forward. good for business.
I remember an article in NG a few years back (2005) that found an early (3rd-4th century CE) Christian text that revealed the true Number of the Beast to be 616, not 666.
I have since often joked that it made dozens of heavy metal songs and hundreds of tattoos instantaneously obsolete.
Here's the article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/0425_050425_papyrus_2.html
In Puerto Rico and other Latin countries Tuesday the 13th is considered the equivalent of Friday the 13th. Tuesday is our "unlucky" day Si es martes, ni te cases ni te enbarques. This mean If it's Tuesday, don't wed or make trips.
6: Is the actual number of the beast. Number 7 is God's number and there are thousands of examples in the Bible: 7 days of the Creaton, 7 Seals of Revelation, etc. The divine nature of number seven is explained on its Hebrew roots. Number seven is pronounced in Hebrew as "Sheba". This name, with slight variations in the pronunciation is also associated with Fullness, Completeness of Perfection ("Saba") or with an Oath ("Shaba"). Perfection or God is then related to number 7. 6 is not full, it's not complete but it is "almost" 7 and therefore it is given to the second most powerful entity, the Devil.
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