reprint of Potter's interpretation of the number 666 makes the following remark: * “ Abram, which signifies in Hebrew A mighty Father, when written in Greek characters, contains according to the amount of its numerical letters the number 144 (Abgau). + See Gal. v. 1, &c. and Isaiah xii. 2. In contradistinction the papal territory was colonized by Japhet, whose name signifies seduction and latitude, and contains, in Greek numerical letters, the number 666 (Iatetas). ‡”

Several interpretations of the number of the Beast have from time to time been given in the Hebrew tongue. § Vitringa affords us two guesses, , || "a multitude of the Gentiles," and

وا

רבת הגוים רובה ורברמה ** אדם אדומי thew Hiller finds the number in

High and magnificent." Mat

unless we admit, with Scaliger, that έ#raxioxiλles must be written ἑπτακισχειλίες ; and then both words only contain each 1941, as follows: &, 5, π, 80, 7, 300, α, 1, x, 20, b, 10, σ, 200, X, 600, ε, 5, 1, 10, 2, 30, by 10, 0, 70, v, 400, 5, 200,-1941; and X, 600, p, 100, 1, 10, σ, 200, 7, 300, 1, 10, α, 1, 1, 50, 0, 70, v, 400, 5, 200,-1941.

* See the Worcester edition, 1808, p. xy.

·† A, 1, 6, 2, 0, 100, α, 1, μg 40,-144.

‡ I, 10, α, 1, π, 80, ɛ, 5, t, 300, 0, 70, 5, 200,666.

§ See Wolfii Tom. Curar. in Apoc. xiii. 18, Vitringa ibid. and Calmet's Dict. of the Bible on the word Antichrist.

||7, 200, 2, 2,л, 400, п, 5, 1, 3, 1, 6, 1, 10, D, 40,666.

¶7, 200, 1, 6, 3, 2, 1, 5, 1, 6, 7, 200, 2, 2, 1, 200, 1, 40,

, 5, 666.

米米

8, 1, 7, 4, 0, 600, 8, 1, 7, 4, 1, 6, 7, 40, ', 10,666.

* See his Animadversions on Euseb. Pamphil. p. 114.

* 66

an Edomite;" Hasæus in s things on sale;" Portzigius in ,"6

apostasy ;" and Jo. Gothofredus Lakemacherus in "Rab

bi Simon."

وا

no, "mystery," is mentioned by Dr. H. More, and has been much esteemed by several writers. The number has also been found

66 I

our holy father the * אבינו הקדוש אאפיפי in

*, 40, 5, 20, 7, 200, 1, 6, n, 400, 666. Jac. Hasæus in Biblioth. Bremense, Classis ii. p. 1010. See also Wolfii ibid. p.

and is supposed to be a very מכרה is the plural of מכרות .546

proper character of the Beast; because it is written of him, "That no man might buy or sell save he that had the mark, or the name of the Beast, or the number of his name."

+, 60, 7, 200, 1, 6, ♫, 400,=666. See Zachar. Portzigius in Collectione Novantiquorum Theologicorum, an. 1733, p. 662; and Wolfii, ibid.

‡, 200, v, 300, 2, 40, 1, 70, 1, 6, 1, 50,=666.

SD, 60, n, 400, 1, 6, 7, 200, 666.

See Dr. Henry More's Epilogue to his Apocalypsis Apocalypseos, and Dr. Dodd's Commentary on the Revelation. See, also Cl. Petrus à Sarn, in Miscellaneis Duisburgensibus, Tom. I. p. 487; and Wolfii, ibid. Sethur, one of the spies mentioned in Numb. xiii. 13, has been considered a representative of the Papal Antichrist; and it is very remarkable, that there is some sort of resemblance between these two characters. Sethur's name contains the number 666; and this is the number of Antichrist; Sethur is of the tribe of Asher, that is to say, The Blessed; so are the Papists of the family of the Primitive Christians; Sethur was one of those who brought an evil report of the good land; so have the Papists by their impieties brought an evil report upon Christianity; Sethur's name signifies mystery; and this is the name inscribed upon the forehead of the Mother of Harlots.

¶ x, 1, 2, 2, ', 10, 1, 50, 1, 6, п, 5, p, 90, 1, 4, 1, 6, ₪, 300, *, 1, 8, 1, 5, 80, ", 10, 5, 80, ", 10,666.

* .האפיפיור

Pope;" but the last word ought to be written It has also been found in Luther's "Lulname by ridiculously writing it, ther." To these we may add byn nishan, "the kingdom of the people," considered in opposition to the kingdom of Christ; and the Latin word Romanus, Roman," written by Fox and Fleming in the following Hebrew characters,

66

-Adoni אדוניקס Vitringa also produces | רמענש ||

kam, of whom mention is made in Ezra, ii. 13. not because his name contains 666, but from the circumstance of his family and posterity which returned from the Babylonish captivity consisting of precisely 666 persons. But the most approved

** a

רומית of all Hebrew interpretations is

word mentioned by Piscator, ++ and asserted by many to be the feminine of 7, tt said to mean 'Roman,' and therefore supposed to agree either

האפיפיור מלח הגויים *

"The Pope, king of the Gentiles." Hyde's Syntagma Dissertat. Vol. I. pp. 115, 116, 117, Edit. Oxon. 1767.

+, 30, 1, 6, 4, 30, л, 400, 1, 200,=666.

, 5, 2, 40, 5, 30, 5, 20, 1, 6, л, 400, n, 5, 1, 70, 2, 40, ', 10, B, 40, 666.

§ See Vitringa's Apocalypsis Exposita, and Fleming's Apocalyptical Key, in loc.

||7, 200, 2, 40, y, 70, 1, 50, 1, 6, v, 300,666.

I See Wolfii ibid. p. 545.

**1,200, 1, 6, 2, 40, *, 10, , 10, n, 400,-666.

++ See Wolfii, Tom. Curar. in Apoc. xii 18. and Fulke's Rhemish Testament, ibid.

See Bishop Newton's Dissert. on Apoc. xiii. 18.

with "kingdom," ", "

,מלכות

קהלה

beast," or "p, church. But that all this is false, I think is sufficiently evident from Buxtorf's Talmudical Lexicon, where there is given a great variety of examples of the Hebrew word, in all which this word signifies Rome and not Roman. † The words used by the

the רומאה and,רומאי Rabbins for Roman are

first of which is masculine, the other feminine. ‡

Many interpretations of this number have also been given in the Latin language; but all such can be of but very little authority, as no evidence can be produced that the Romans numbered in this way so early as the days of the apostles. Yet that it was sometimes used in after-ages would appear from the following example given by Kircher:

Qui de quingentis, de quinque, decemque sit unus,

Ille meis precibus dignum poterit dare munus.

He who is one of five hundred and fifteen will be able to give a gift worthy of my prayers. §

By five hundred and fifteen is meant, the Latin word DVX, a leader, the Roman numerals added together making this number. In the same

* See Bishop Newton and Daubuz, ibid. and Wolfius, Tom. Curar. V. p. 546. Edit. Basil. 1741.

+ nywan 17 m, "this is the wicked kingdom of Rome." Talmud on Lev. vi. 2, et 9. See Buxtorf's Talmud. Lex. on the word : the word is also frequently used for

Rome. See Hyde's Syntag. Dissertat. passim.

See Buxtorf's Talmud. Lex. col. 2229, 2230.

§ Edipi Ægyptiaci Gymnas. Hierogl. Class I. Symbolices, cap. iv, p. 31. Edit. Romæ, 1652.

|| D, 500, V, 5, X, 10,=515.

manner has Irenochoræus found 666 in the words Vicarius Filii Dei, *"The Vicar of the Son of God," one of the titles of the Pope in effect, though the form in which it is used is Vicarius Christi, "Christ's Vicar," or Vicarius Jesus Christi, "Vicar of Jesus Christ." William Bedel finds the number in one of the Pope's titles: Paulo V. ViceDeo," Paul V, the Vice-God;" and Anton. Driessenius discovers it in the following Papal inscription, Una Vera Catholica infallibilis Ecclesia, "One true Catholic infallible Church." It is also found in Ludovicus, § the name of several French kings, and also in Vicarius Dei Generalis in Terris, || Vicar-general of God in the earth." Caspar Heunischius also discovers it in Silvester Secundus, ¶ "Silvester the Second," one of the Popes; and it has been supposed that as Linus was the first Pope, so Linus will be the last, as Li

*

66

V, 5, I, 1, C, 100, I, 1, V, 5, 1, 1, 11, 50, 1, 1, I, 1, D, 500, I, 1,666. See Wolfius in Apoc. xiii. 18.

† V, 5, L, 50, V, 5, V, 5, I, 1, C, 100, D, 500,=666. See Wolfius, ibid.

‡ V, 5, V, 5, C, 100, L, 50, I, 1, C, 100, I, 1, L, 50, L, 50, I, 1, I, 1, L, 50, I, 1, C, 100, C, 100, L, 50, I, 1, 666. See Wolfius, ibid.

§ L, 50, V, 5, D, 500, V, 5, I, 1, C, 100, V, 5,666. See Wolfius and Bengel, ibid, and the Tractatus de Patientiâ et Fide Sanctorum.

|| V, 5, I, 1, C, 100, I, 1, V, 5, D, 500, I, 1, L, 50, I, 1, I 1, I, 1, 666.

I, 1, L, 50, V, 5, C, 100, V, 5, D, 500, V, 5,666. See Bengelii Gnomon in Apoc. xiii. 18.