Number of descendants of Adonikam according to Nehemiah 7:18
The number 667 appears in Nehemiah 7:18 as the count of descendants of Adonikam who returned from exile in Babylon. Although the number carries no independent symbolic meaning in biblical or Jewish tradition, it is notable that the parallel list in Ezra 2:13 gives 666 for the same family. This difference of one number has attracted interest among textual critics and Bible interpreters but most likely stems from variations in manuscript traditions. Beyond this specific occurrence, 667 has no established symbolic role in the Bible, Talmud, or Jewish numerology. The name Adonikam (אֲדֹנִיקָם) means "my lord has risen" or "my lord rose," a theophoric name expressing trust in God's power. The difference between 666 in Ezra 2:13 and 667 in Nehemiah 7:18 is one of several numerical discrepancies between the two lists of returnees. Such variations may be due to copying errors, different times of counting, or the fact that the two lists are based on different administrative sources. The fact that Adonikam's descendants are counted as 666 in Ezra has led to speculation in some Christian interpretive traditions because of its connection to "the number of the beast" in Revelation 13:18, but this is an anachronistic reading without support in the original context.*