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March 23, 2008

Mathematics and the Gospel

I've always had a fascination with the mysticism in the Gospel stories of what happens after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus appears to various people and they have trouble recognizing him. Look it up, it's interesting how the stories in Matthew, Mark, and Luke vary.

John includes an episode not present in the other books after the resurrection (Luke has it before), the "Catch of 153 fish." Here's the relevant passage from John 21:1–13 (King James version),
1After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself.

2There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

3Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

8And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

9As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

10Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

12Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

13Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Jesus shows them where to fish, and they land a great many, exactly 153. Why 153? Then they know he is really the guy.

The Wikipedia entry giving theories on this is truly fascinating. The fraction 265/153 was known in the ancient world as "the measure of the fish," a fraction close to the true value of root 3. The diagram above produced this ratio geometrically.

The further surprise is that the number 153 is equal to the sums of the cubes of its digits: 1 + 125 + 27! Fascinating. Read the details at this great wiki entry
HERE.

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