Biblical Numerology

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Throughout history there has been a plethora of great literature but none are comparable to the Bible. This book not only hold acataleptic knowledge that can impact the world but also is a compendium for many people's life. It has become a symbolic representation of many Christian's faith and continues as one today. The Bible has many forms of symbolism not only in itself but also in the pages. Biblical numerology is one form of symbolism that appears though out the Bible. This paper will explore the origins of symbolic numbers, the development of the symbolism and the interpretation of symbolic numbers. To understand what Biblical numerology is we must first take a look at its origins.

There are many arguments to where symbolism of numbers in the Bible originated but there is no clear consensus to any single one. The two main arguments are " 1.) the original revelations of God to Scripture writers and/or 2.) the observations of the scribes and writers ( both of the Bible and other literature) with regard to natural phenomena of the universe both structural and chronological in nature ( Davis 106)." Despite theses two arguments there is still "... a large group of scholars which contends that symbolic or significant numbers were in use before the writing of the Old Testament and were a common literary device of scribes from Babylon, Egypt, etc (Davis 104-105)." There is also the concept that can best be summed up "... in the old Latin phrase: 'Res ipsa loquitur,' which means, 'The thing speaks for itself.' Numerological patterns need no interpretation, their meaning is readily apparent (Holcombe 30)."

When the Bible was written the concomitant influence was from God and the Holy Spirit. This view of the origins of Bibli...

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Diel, Paul. "Symbolism in the Bible: the Universality of Symbolic Language and it Psychological

Significance." 1st Ed. San Francisco, California: Harper & Row, 1986. Print.

Holcombe, A.D. "Biblical Numerology Confirms the Spiritual Validity of its Contents."

Journal of Religion & Psychical Research. 20.1(1997): 30. Print.

Nosotro, Rit. "Hammurabi: 1792-1750 B.C. Babylonian King who Set Down First Written Code of

Laws." Hyperlinked World History with Biblical Perspective. Hyperhistory.net, TUE, 22 DEC

2009 06:53:27 GMT. Web. 11 Mar 2010.

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Wilkinson, Kathryn. Signs & Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings.

1st American Ed,. New York, New York: DK Publishing, 2008. 352. Print.

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