The Apocalyptic Number 616 and the Donatist Church
The apocalyptic number 616 is attested as a variant for the more common 666 in Revelation xiii.18 as early as Irenaeus as well as in several ancient Greek manuscripts. Surprisingly, however, all known exegetical interpretations of the number in late antiquity and the early medieval era can be traced...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Article |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
2021
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In: |
The journal of ecclesiastical history
Year: 2021, Volume: 72, Issue: 4, Pages: 709-725 |
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Offenbarung des Johannes 13,18
/ Six hundred sixty-six
/ Tyconius, Afer -390, Commentarius in Apocalypsin
/ Liber genealogus
/ Donatism
/ Exegesis
/ History 180-900
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IxTheo Classification: | HC New Testament KAB Church history 30-500; early Christianity KAD Church history 500-900; early Middle Ages NBQ Eschatology |
Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | The apocalyptic number 616 is attested as a variant for the more common 666 in Revelation xiii.18 as early as Irenaeus as well as in several ancient Greek manuscripts. Surprisingly, however, all known exegetical interpretations of the number in late antiquity and the early medieval era can be traced back to just two sources derived from the Donatist Church in North Africa: Tyconius’ Expositio apocalypseos and the anonymous Liber genealogus. After reviewing these sources and the exegetical traditions predicated on them, this article will introduce a third witness to the 616 variant within the Donatist communion and comment on its implications. |
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ISSN: | 1469-7637 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of ecclesiastical history
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S002204692000305X |