666 (number) facts for kids

666 is a natural number that comes right after 665 and before 667. It's a number with several interesting features.

One cool thing about 666 is that it's a triangular number. This means you can get 666 by adding up all the whole numbers from 1 to 36 (1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 36 = 666). Imagine arranging dots in a triangle; 666 dots would form a perfect triangle!

Another neat fact is that if you add up the first 144 numbers that appear after the decimal point in pi, you also get 666. Pi is a very famous number used in math, especially when dealing with circles.

The Number 666 in History and Beliefs

The number 666 is well-known because of its mention in the Bible. In a book called the Book of Revelation, 666 is linked to a figure known as the "Number of the Beast". This has led to many different ideas and interpretations over time.

Different Interpretations of 666

Some people believe that the Bible suggests a future world leader might try to make people accept this number as a special mark. They think that those who accept it might be able to buy and sell things, but those who don't would be rejected by God. This is one way some people understand the ancient text.

Another way to look at it involves ancient languages. In the Aramaic alphabet, which was used a long time ago, each letter also had a number value. People could add up the numbers for letters in a name or title to get a total. Some historians and scholars believe that the number 666 was a secret way to refer to the Roman Emperor Nero. Nero was known for being very harsh towards early Christians. When his name, Nero Caesar, is written in Aramaic and the letter values are added up, the total can be 666. This suggests it might have been a hidden message to criticize him without being too obvious.

Images for kids

• 

  666 is often associated with the devil, who is illustrated here in an engraved interpretation by Gustave Doré.

• 

  A 666 float in a Paris street parade

See also

In Spanish: Seiscientos sesenta y seis para niños