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thehefnerFrom news.independent.co.uk:
Revelation! 666 is not the number of the beast (it's a devilish 616)
By Tom Anderson
01 May 2005
A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616.
The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now a team of expert classicists, using new photographic techniques, are finally deciphering the original writing.
Professor David Parker, Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham, thinks that 616, although less memorable than 666, is the original. He said: "This is an example of gematria, where numbers are based on the numerical values of letters in people's names. Early Christians would use numbers to hide the identity of people who they were attacking: 616 refers to the Emperor Caligula."
The Book of Revelation is traditionally considered to be written by John, a disciple of Jesus; it identifies 666 as the mark of the Antichrist. In America, the fundamentalist Christian right often use the number in sermons about the coming Apocalypse.
They and satanists responded coolly to the new "Revelation". Peter Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan, based in New York, said: "By using 666 we're using something that the Christians fear. Mind you, if they do switch to 616 being the number of the beast then we'll start using that."
Revelation! 666 is not the number of the beast (it's a devilish 616)
By Tom Anderson
01 May 2005
A newly discovered fragment of the oldest surviving copy of the New Testament indicates that, as far as the Antichrist goes, theologians, scholars, heavy metal groups, and television evangelists have got the wrong number. Instead of 666, it's actually the far less ominous 616.
The new fragment from the Book of Revelation, written in ancient Greek and dating from the late third century, is part of a hoard of previously unintelligible manuscripts discovered in historic dumps outside Oxyrhynchus in Egypt. Now a team of expert classicists, using new photographic techniques, are finally deciphering the original writing.
Professor David Parker, Professor of New Testament Textual Criticism and Paleography at the University of Birmingham, thinks that 616, although less memorable than 666, is the original. He said: "This is an example of gematria, where numbers are based on the numerical values of letters in people's names. Early Christians would use numbers to hide the identity of people who they were attacking: 616 refers to the Emperor Caligula."
The Book of Revelation is traditionally considered to be written by John, a disciple of Jesus; it identifies 666 as the mark of the Antichrist. In America, the fundamentalist Christian right often use the number in sermons about the coming Apocalypse.
They and satanists responded coolly to the new "Revelation". Peter Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan, based in New York, said: "By using 666 we're using something that the Christians fear. Mind you, if they do switch to 616 being the number of the beast then we'll start using that."
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Date: 2005-05-03 02:59 am (UTC)we should jump on this market opening before it's flooded.
t-shirts: "616: The New Satan" or "Upgrade: Diablo v2.0, 616 gb RAM"
Speak of the devil...
Date: 2005-05-03 03:16 am (UTC)On the topic of 666 as the mark of the beast, it has always struck me as rather funny that the address for the Westboro Baptist Church (hiding place of the reprehensible Fred Phelps) is (I shit you not) Topeka, KA 66604.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-03 02:10 pm (UTC)"It makes me so happy. To be at the beginning again, knowing almost nothing. ... It's the best possible time to be alive, when almost everything you thought you knew is wrong."
-Tom Stoppard, Arcadia
p.s. I'm not sure about the superman costume either, but I think it's relatively minor compared to the tasty things Bryan Singer can do with the film.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-03 02:23 pm (UTC)isn't Marvel universe set in reality #616? Is Stan Lee the anti-christ?
no subject
Date: 2005-05-03 05:14 pm (UTC)Alan Moore.
Apparently, this 616 thing has been speculated about for awhile, but it's only now gotten this more concrete proof. I love Alan Moore.