Revelation 13:18

Revelation 13:18 e`xh,konta e[x {A}

Instead of e`xh,konta, which is strongly supported by î⁴⁷ a A P 046 051 all extant minuscules it^gig vg syr^{ph, h} cop^{sa, bo} arm al, de,ka is read by C some manuscripts known to Irenaeus (who, however, says that 666 is found “in all good and ancient copies,” and is “attested by those who had themselves seen John face to face”) and Tyconius^pt. According to Tischendorf’s 8th ed., the numeral 616 was also read by two minuscule manuscripts that unfortunately are no longer extant (nos. 5 and 11; cf. C. R. Gregory, Prolegomena, p. 676). ⁶ When Greek letters are used as numerals the difference between 666 and 616 is merely a change from x to i (666 = cxõ and 616 = ciõ). Perhaps the change was intentional, seeing that the Greek form Neron Caesar written in Hebrew characters (rsq !wrn) is equivalent to 666, whereas the Latin form Nero Caesar (rsq wrn) is equivalent to 616.

⁶ For a variety of other numerals in several minuscules and in Armenian witnesses, see H. C. Hoskier, Concerning the Text of the Apocalypse, II (London, 1929), pp. 364 f.