10 Sinister Facts About Satan

Satan, also known to many as the devil, is known as the representation of evil in the world.

For thousands of years, this character has been written about across various religious texts as the enemy of God.

But does Satan represent a person, or is he just a fictional character, and how did he end up in hell?

Here are 10 sinister facts about Satan that you should know.

The name Satan can be translated from many different languages to mean different things, but they all link back to what we think of when we hear the word Satan.

The word “Satan” in Hebrew is a generic noun that means “accuser” or “adversary.”

In the Hebrew Bible, this word is used for human and supernatural adversaries.

It is said to have derived from the verb that would have been used for “obstruct.”

This is how Satan’s name came to be the most commonly used word to describe the opponent of God.

The idea of a character representing evil first appeared in the text Paradise Lost.

Up until this point, Satan had no set representation or form that had been established.

Written in 1677, John Milton’s poem explains the fall of man and the fall of an angel.

Milton’s poem bases Satan on the idea of him being a foe of man and God with Medieval ideas of what Satan represented.

This was one of the first texts to help clarify and define what Satan was.

In the Middle Ages, Satan was seen as a laughing stock and a character that was more of an annoyance to God.

Satan would often be depicted in theatrical plays as the comedic fool, who was not only clumsy but an ugly character too.

American historian Jeffrey Burton Russell described Satan as “more pathetic and repulsive than terrifying” during the Middle Ages.

A collection of writings called “The Golden Legend” was compiled around 1260, and they told tales of saint’s encounters with Satan.

They spoke of how the saints would use their intelligence to overcome him.

It wasn’t until the 1430s that Satan became associated with witchcraft, and this is when he started to become seen as a fearful character.

The number 666 is known as “the number of the beast” or that of Satan or any demon.

It was first written in chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation of the New Testament.

Number 666 is associated with being “man’s number” or “the number of a man.”

In the Book of Revelation, 666 was the number given to Roman Emperor Nero, as it is the numeric value of his name.

He was a nasty and vicious ruler; therefore, this is where the association of the number 666 and evil has stemmed from.

In mathematics, 666 is a triangular number and has many properties that make it appear magical.

Some people take the number association so seriously that they avoid all connections with 666 as they fear it is the devil’s work.