Number of the Beast

Earlier this week I watched a re-run of an interesting edition * of "QI" - a panel game show hosted by the brilliant Stephen Fry. During the course of the show Mr. Fry cited research that shows that "the number of the Beast" was actually 616 and not 666 as we've been led to believe. By all accounts it could have been an administrative, transcription error, but it was most likely someone in the marketing department of the early Christian church who decided to make the change as 666 had a better ring to it.

Fascinating. The programme went on the cite a number of cities that had renamed roads and bus routes from 666 to 616 to ward of the wrath of Satan :-D Hahahaha...suckers of the cult of Jesus!! Love it.

I went looking for more sources online and found the following:

• The Oxford University research


• Blog by someone who saw the same programme. Also see the piece on Thomas Midgley, Jr. that was also sited on Stephen Fry's show. Another amazing story.


• 666 vs. 616 - America Is Babylon the Great.


• A Christian crank knee-jerks to 616!

A few interesting tangents to this story:

• The numbers on a roulette wheel add upto 666.


• The fear of the number 666 is Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia.


• The fear of the number 616 is Hexakosioidekahexaphobia.

Cheers MAlfaRK

* : Series D (started 29 September 2006), Episode 10 "Divination"