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.