Mark from Kent wants to know: Do any other numbers have a special significance, apart from 13, which is said to bring bad luck?

In the tradition of Judaeo-Christian interpretation, certain numbers were held to be mystical. Here is a brief description:

2 and 3 = divine numbers

4 = Christ’s number (the 4 evangelists)

6 = 2 times 3 = the devil’s number, likewise "666"

7 = intellectual gifts, the number of branches on a candelabra

12 = the number of tribes of Israel, number of minor prophets, number of disciples

13 = number of participants at the last supper; Judas’ number, unlucky number

40 = divine number; "40 years" is often used to mean "a very long time".

1,000 and 10,000 = used in general to mean “a very large number".


These numbers are often used in the Bible to indicate special events; they appear in part to have been later adapted to provide members of the culture group of the time with additional signals underlining the real significance of a particular story.

Created: 10:58 AM | Author: Jörg Dahlmann | Category: Current questions  |  Comments [0]