Did You Know?

Solomon reportedly had 700 wives and 300 concubines, according to the biblical account.

This significant detail, recorded in 1 Kings 11:3, is directly connected to a subsequent warning regarding these wives turning Solomon's heart toward idolatry. This account is often cited as a significant factor contributing to the later division of the united kingdom.

[Numbers in the Bible]

The Israelites were instructed to observe seven major annual feasts throughout their religious calendar.

These feasts, detailed throughout Leviticus 23, include Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles. These feasts collectively commemorate significant historical and agricultural events throughout Israel's calendar year.

[Numbers in the Bible]

The Book of Genesis describes ten generations from Adam to Noah, and another ten from Noah to Abraham.

These genealogical lists appear in Genesis 5 and Genesis 11:10-26 respectively, providing a structured chronological framework for early biblical history. This deliberate numerical patterning reflects broader literary structuring techniques common throughout ancient Near Eastern genealogical records.

[Numbers in the Bible]

The number eight is sometimes associated with new beginnings throughout the Bible, connected to circumcision on the eighth day.

This practice, established in Genesis 17:12, occurs specifically on the eighth day following a child's birth. Some biblical scholars and theologians have further connected this number symbolically to broader themes of resurrection and renewal, particularly regarding Jesus' resurrection occurring on the day following the seventh-day Sabbath.

[Numbers in the Bible]

Noah's ark carried eight people, Noah's immediate family, safely through the flood.

This specific number is mentioned in 2 Peter 2:5, referring to 'Noah the eighth person' preserved alongside his wife, three sons, and their wives. This detail is drawn from the broader flood narrative in Genesis 7:7, 13.

[Numbers in the Bible]

The Israelites are recorded as having 603,550 men of fighting age during their initial census in the wilderness.

This specific figure appears in Numbers 1:46, based on a census of men aged twenty and older able to serve in Israel's military. Scholars have proposed various interpretations regarding this large figure, given the significant total population it would imply.

[Numbers in the Bible]

Job's story concludes with him receiving exactly double the possessions he originally had before his suffering.

This restoration, described in Job 42:12, includes specific numbers of livestock exactly twice his earlier recorded amounts (compare Job 1:3 and 42:12). This precise doubling emphasizes the completeness of Job's eventual restoration following his extended trial.

[Numbers in the Bible]

The number 40 also appears in connection with the reigns of several significant Israelite kings, including David and Solomon.

Both kings are recorded as reigning for 40 years (1 Kings 2:11 for David, 1 Kings 11:42 for Solomon). This recurring figure may reflect either precise historical record-keeping or a symbolic rounding reflecting a full, complete generation.

[Numbers in the Bible]

Jesus fed 5,000 men, not including women and children, suggesting the actual total number present was likely significantly higher.

This specific detail regarding counting only men is noted in Matthew 14:21. This detail reflects common ancient counting practices of the time, which often specifically tallied adult males rather than entire family groups.

[Numbers in the Bible]

The oldest complete copy of the entire Hebrew Bible is known as the Leningrad Codex, dated to around 1008 CE.

This manuscript remains an important basis for many modern Hebrew Bible editions and translations. It is housed today in the National Library of Russia in St. Petersburg.

[Language & Manuscripts]