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]

"So-called lucky numbers appear in some magazine horoscopes: how are these worked out and should I use them when playing lottery?" - a question by Josephine D. from Wakefield

Every astrology column writer has their own method of calculating these numbers. There are rumours that the trainee sits and writes down whatever numbers come into his or her head. In any case, using lucky numbers for playing lottery makes no sense. Because these magazine horoscope numbers are distributed in enormous print runs throughout the population they can’t be taken seriously as lucky numbers. The fact is: if these numbers really were drawn in the lottery, so many other people who believe in lucky numbers would have also ticked them that you would be sharing your winnings with them all and your lottery winnings would be abysmal. 

Created: 10:09 AM | Author: Questico editorial staff | Category: Astrology  |  Comments [0]