Msg#: 1705                                         Date: 03-12-95  15:28
  From: J.j. Hitt                                    Read: Yes    Replied: No
    To: David Worrell                                Mark:
  Subj: Re: Answer This -1

 DW> The Jews considered '7' a "perfect" number.  '6' was "imperfect".
 DW> Three of any given number was also special.

 DW> In the years after Jesus' death, areas safe for Christians were
 DW> marked '777' and areas unsafe for Christians were marked '666'.
 DW> The book of Revelation was never intended as a prophetic vision
 DW> of the future - the author was simply making a thinly veiled
 DW> attack on the Roman Empire.  John Musslewhite knows much more
 DW> about this subject than I do.  If you're interested in a reading
 DW> list, post a message here to him.

 I have problems with this.
 The same problems I have with the Xians who claim that "666" is the
 "Number of the Beast".

 What the Revelation actually says is that the number is "six hundred,
 three score and six".

 The string "666" would only mean ((6*10^2)+(6*10^1)+(6*10^0)) to a
 person familiar with the place value system. As far as I can tell, the
 place value system was NOT in use in that area at that time. And it
 wouldn't be introduced for another 600 years when the Moslems stole it
 from the Hindus they conquered.

 Hebrew and Greek numeration used simple addition without place value.
 To them the string "666" would be 6+6+6 or eighteen.