What is 666 in the Bible?

Because the Bible is a conglomeration of diverse texts written in varied historical contexts to meet the needs of diverse audiences, its symbols and motifs might seem strange to contemporary readers. Often, readers may be tempted to impose their own interpretations on some of the more arcane details from Hebrew or Christian scripture.  One such esoteric biblical motif is the number 666. While the original significance of 666 in biblical passages may be difficult to ascertain at a glance, that hasn’t prevented generations of readers from imposing their own meanings on this particular set of numerals. Frequently, 666 is associated with the devil, with evil forces and antichrist figures, even with various conspiracy theories. But what does 666 actually signify when it is used in scripture? Is it definitively associated with evil? How would the audiences for whom these ancient texts were written understand the number?  On this episode of the podcast, writer and educator Alice Camille talks about the significance of numbers in the Bible, in general, and the meaning—or meanings—of 666 in particular. Camille is a nationally known and award-winning writer, religious educator, and retreat leader. She has worked in parishes and campus ministry, and published extensively on scripture, including for U.S. Catholic, in the monthly Testaments column. Learn more about this topic, and read some of Camille’s writing, in the links below.  “What is 666 in the Bible?” by Joel Schorn. https://uscatholic.org/articles/201310/what-is-666-in-the-bible/  “Fun With Numbers: 666 Has Good Meanings, Too,” by Barnaby Rogerson. https://time.com/3551634/666-good-bad-meanings/  “Scripture interpretations are never set in stone,” by Alice Camille. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202306/scripture-interpretations-are-never-set-in-stone/  “The Bible is far more than history. It is legendary.” by Alice Camille. https://uscatholic.org/articles/202103/the-bible-is-far-more-than-history-it-is-legendary/  “Navigate life changes with stories from scripture,” by Alice Camille.  https://uscatholic.org/articles/202009/navigate-life-changes-with-stories-from-scripture/  Glad You Asked is sponsored by the Claretian Missionaries. https://claretiansusa.org https://myclaret.org