I get to the last lecture in my Introduction to the New Testament course tomorrow, and it provides the opportunity to talk about Revelation. I generally find that the subject matter is so interesting that I ask myself why I don't try to teach a whole course on Apocalyptic and the Apocalypse.
One issue that has to be on the agenda is the number of the beast, something I have occasionally blogged on. On one of those occasions, I linked to a video in which Ian Boxall, sitting on Patmos, explains how it works, using pieces of pottery. Alas, that video long since disappeared. The clip was from a BBC series, Bible Mysteries (2003), which has never been commercially released. I am happy to have found a copy recently from which I have extracted the relevant clip.
As well as Prof. Ian Boxall (now of Catholic University of America), we see Prof. David Parker, OBE, of the University of Birmingham.
Without even a mention of the further complicating factor, which I find most likely, that 616 refers to the latinized version of Nero, dropping the final Nun and losing 50 points?
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, they all refer to Domitian anyway, as part of the Redivivus legend. :)
I think it's a reference to the Romans in general, hated in general throughout Revelation. Their numerical system begins, as we all know, with D C L X V I which equals you know what. And the beast is Rome, not a particular Roman guy.
ReplyDeleteGlad you dug out that video. I do the in Powerpoint every time I speak in churches about Revelation...
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