Re: psychoceramics: Barcodes = Mark of the Beast????

[Alan Terlep <ximenez @ us.itd.umich.edu>]

On Sat, 23 Mar 1996, Joyce wrote:

> The guy pleaded with listeners to go through the homes and throw away 
> anything that had a barcode on it! Boy, that's gonna take up my whole 
> weekend!

People have explained that many people believe barcodes to contain the 
number 666, but nobody's explained why this sets some people off.  The 
origin of the whole "number of the beast" thing comes from Revelation 
13:11-12,16-18:

Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns 
like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority 
of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants 
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed...  He also
forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to 
receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could 
buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the 
number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him 
calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 
666. 

A school of millenialist thought is convinced that any global agreement 
is a precursor to a situation in which one person (the "beast") would be 
able to exercise authority over the world.  Someone had the bright idea 
to associate barcodes with the mark that everyone must receive, especially
since the idea of barcoding people and computerizing the entire economic 
system was brought up in the early 70's.

If I may digress, the reference is more likely to economic restrictions 
in the Roman Empire.  Greek letters were also used as numerals, and the 
value of the letters in the Greek transliteration of "Nero Caesar" is 
666, a number which has numerological significance for "ultimate evil."  
The passage is more likely a protest against some kind of law passed 
during the reign of Nero or Vespasian.

Alan Terlep 0-			  	  Famous Last Words #178:
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