The typical understanding is to take Nero’s name and title in Greek, and transliterate it into Hebrew (קסר נרון), and then take the numerical value. There are many scholars that identify 666 with Nero either directly or by allusion. It was culturally well attested at that time, and it seems to make sense of John’s command to count of the number of the beast (which is related to the number of its name). Other scholars have reported graffiti from Pompeii (destroyed 79 AD) which reads, “I love her whose number is 545.”Īlthough we need to do so cautiously, I think gematria could provide an appropriate understanding of the mark of the beast as 666.

This is the calculation given for the Greek name Jesus (Ιησους). In thine own understanding that the Christ To mortals in the earth and he doth hearĪre twice announced the whole sum I will name:įor eight ones, and as many tens on these,Īnd yet eight hundred will reveal the name pseudepigraphal work, gives an example of gematria used with the name of Jesus. Some NT scholars think the genealogies in Matthew 1 could be an example of gematria, where three lists of 14 generations each correspond to the numerical value of David’s name. This was actually a well-known practice, although it is debated how prevalent this is in Scripture. Gematria is a process by which letters in a name are given numerical values or vice versa. Many scholars have looked to gematria to help understand the mark of the beast. This calculation would presumably lead to identification of a specific individual. Thus, the statement of John is that the number of the beast is related to his name (Rev 13:17). Using pebbles to count was a common ancient means of tabulation.

The term derives from ψῆφος, which means pebble. John’s command to “calculate” (ψηφισάτω) the number of the beast is a term that was used for numerical calculation. Thus, when six is used three times in the mark of the beast, it is emphasizing the completeness of imperfection.Īlthough this view is possible, it is unlikely. Beale, for example, argues in his commentary that the mark of the beast is 666 because six is the number of imperfection. Many notable scholars have read the mark of the beast symbolically. Not everyone sees 666 as a reference to Nero.

Nero 6 codes