Alternative/s for The Number of the Beast

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MrMacSon
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Alternative/s for The Number of the Beast

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Dr Peter J Williams, Principal @Tyndale_House, Cambridge, posted this on Twitter -

The Number of the Beast is 666 (Revelation 13:18). There are many ways to make that number by gematria—i.e. using letters as numbers. The easiest is to take the Greek word ‘beast’ (θηριον/therion) & transliterate into Hebrew (תריון/trywn). T=400, r=200, y=10, w=6, n=50. Simple. https://twitter.com/DrPJWilliams/status ... 4519241728


He was asked 'What are your thoughts on The Number of the Beast being 616 as stated in P115 and Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus?'

Dr Williams replied -

616 is a beauty. The form of ‘beast’ in the passage is, of course, genitive (‘of the beast’) i.e. θηριου/theriou =תריו/tryw. It's merely missing the final n, valued at 50. It thus gives weight to the same interpretation, though I take it to be a secondary reading.

& Dr Williams has written about P115 - P115 [POxy 4499] and The Number of the Beast


Dr David A Falk, an Egyptologist teaching at the University of British Columbia, said

'Hi Peter ... I have come to believe that 666 is an OT symbol of rapidly gained political supremacy and financial domination after the pattern of Solomon (see 1 Kings 10:4)'

Peter Williams @DrPJWilliams replied

"Sure. The link with Solomon can stay, esp. as it's about trade and the Apocalypse is replete with OT allusions. The number requires deep thought and the explanations via gematria (painfully spell-corrected as hematuria) and OT allusion are not exclusive."
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