The Number of the Beast

[Riaan]

Dear all,

I have long been convinced that the so-called 'number of the beast' must have had a non-supernatural origin, and that it must have been a well-known game played with three dice during the time of Christ. Although some have argued elsewhere that three sixes next to each other could never have been interpreted as our present decimal number 666, I recently for the first time noticed that the Greeks did indeed have a decimal system long before Christ, and also figured out the most probably way in which the game would have been played (details here).

Do you agree that this is a possible, if not the most likely interpretation, if we reject any supernatural origin of the legend?

[Neatras]

In most manuscripts of the New Testament and in English translations of the Bible, the number of the beast is 666. In critical editions of the Greek text, such as the Novum Testamentum Graece, it is noted that 616 is a variant.

Wikipedia seems to note that there isn't a solid answer for what the number actually is.

Is this topic still worth discussing?

[Talishi]

[Replying to post 1 by Riaan]

666 = DCLXVI, the Roman numerals below 1000.

Obviously the "Beast" is a Roman emperor, and this was John of Patmos' way of identifying the same without incurring a crucifixion for himself.