NEWS: Oldest Known New Testament Manuscript: Number of the Beast is 616, page 2
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reply posted on 3-5-2005 @ 03:58 PM by new_falcon_XXI
Maybe this will
...finally...
Originally posted by Nygdan
make people realize that a text can go thru lots of 'error adding' processes.


very good point there Nygdan! It's what I always say when people tell me the bible is the word of God. I can't believe they don't see it was written by men (not even by witnesses) who wrote it down by hearsaying, or let's call it "oral tradition", after some centuries (new testament) or millenia (old one) the things happened. After all, only a very few people were literate at this times, so they were free to write what they want, because nobody could control them. Not to mention all the copies (as justyc pointed out in his/her nice little story) and, after all, the translations from dead languages in today's. Those centuries in the "dark ages", who knows what they did put in the holy book to justify their doings then? Same about the Q'ran and a lot of other holy books. I would like people to see those books as stories which can teach you a lot, but not taking them word by word, for it's man made!

One of the biggest problems in the near future will be saving our knowledge. Scientists already speak about the 20th century as the lost one (in the future), because a lot of data will be lost for those who will come after us. Why? Because of copying too much and because of too short living media. Even our books (first of all paperbacks) will not survive for long, because there's too much acids in the paper. Not to speak of CD's which have an estimated lifetime of 15 to 20 years (some of mine only live for 0.5 years).

What I want to say is: loss of (original) data because of man made mistakes, errors, faults or bad intentions and because of aging material is not only a today's problem, but is one ever since. All true believers should consider this (which of course doesn't mean everything is wrong). In the beginning, there may have been the word. But it was not written.


reply posted on 3-5-2005 @ 04:43 PM by Dasher
in the scripture, it is implied that "he who is wise" should be able to know who the "beast" is and do so from this information (666/616). it should logically follow then that not only was "the beast" one who is a contemporary to the writer/readers, but also that there is an obvious necessity for the information passed to be coded. it would be prudent at this point to bring up the fact that john was in a roman prison at the time and nero was known to be extremely vicious. further, in those days, it was common to put a name in code by adding the letter/numbers together.

to get a glimpse of who nero was, let me quote from "Civilization - Past and Present" Fourth edition, by, Scott/Foresman;
pg 143 -
"We are now indebted to Tacitus for his account of how Nero made the Christians in the capital the scapegoats for the great fire: Mockery was added to the Christians' deaths. They were covered with animal skins and torn to pieces by dogs, many were crucified or burned, and some were set afire at nightfall to serve for illumination. For the spectacle Nero offered his gardens, and he presented horse races in addition. In the dress of a charioteer he himself stood up in his sulky. Hence the victims aroused compassion, for it was not for the public good but for one man's savagery that they were being destroyed."

to twist The Revelation to fit evangelic, dispensational eschatology is seriously erred.
daved

[edit] - and to imply that it is not based on reason is to remain ignorant of history, eastern culture and the bible. to each his own i suppose.

[2nd edit] - since 666/616 = nero's name/title in their respective languages (greek and hebrew), it is further evidence that those who were in those days knew and were expected to know (with a bit of thinking) who john was speaking of.

[edit on 5/3/2005 by Dasher]

[edit on 5/3/2005 by Dasher]
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