The number forty-two may appear a rather random selection – yet as Buzzfeed explain:
“You’re probably familiar with 42. It’s just a number, right? The one that comes after 41 and before 43? Well, what if we told you it has a deeper meaning?”
While the general reader may be non-plussed, the constant reader and certain others will be aware of the number 42’s significance in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. A Novella written by Douglas Adams and published in 1979. The book with its four sequels – ‘a trilogy of five books’ – have as a ‘pop-culture classic’ and ‘international phenomenon’, sold over 15 million copies and resulted in nearly as many dedicated fans and followers.
Alas, this writer is not one of them. While endeavouring to appreciate its appeal to a mass audience – confessedly managing only a partial reading – an emotional connection was not formed in response to the author’s story, with the book failing to resonate overall. Perhaps an overly heightened expectation of what was to come; coupled with a lack of nerdy enthusiasm, were contributing factors.
Regardless, the conceiving of the number 42 playing a role of orphic relevancy did strike a cord. As did the numerous wise witticisms recorded throughout.
The aim of this article is to catalogue the numerous correlations and synchronism relating to the number forty-two. Perhaps it is the first of its kind, or if not it will become the most comprehensive. Our investigation will include science, nature, mathematics, the media, everyday life and the esoteric.
Readers are encouraged to suggest additional examples of patterned serendipity linked with the number 42; to contribute salient facts which might be omitted from this (first) draught, with all being gratefully received.
What makes this endeavour a little poignant is that Douglas (Noel) Adams died prematurely in 2001 at the age of forty-nine.
Douglas Adams
So it is to his first book we now turn, for this is where it all began.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, pages 150-152:
“The room… In seven and a half million years… had been well looked after and cleaned every century or so… the large computer terminal sat in sparkling glory… as bright as if it had been constructed yesterday.
‘The time is nearly upon us… seventy-five thousand generations ago, our ancestors set this program in motion,’ the second man said, ‘and in all that time we will be the first to hear the computer speak.’
‘We are the ones who will hear… the answer to the great question of Life… the Universe… And Everything…!’
‘Shhh… I think Deep Thought is preparing to speak!’
There was a moment’s expectant pause whilst panels slowly came to life on the front of the console. Lights flashed on and off experimentally and settled down into a businesslike pattern. A soft low hum came from the communication channel.
‘Good morning,’ said Deep Thought at last.
‘Er… Good morning, O Deep Thought… do you have… er, that is…’
‘An answer for you?’ interrupted Deep Thought majestically. ‘Yes. I have.’
The two men shivered with expectancy.
‘There really is one?’
There really is one,’ confirmed deep Thought.
‘And you’re ready to give it to us?’
‘I am.’
‘Now?’
‘Now,’ said Deep Thought.
They both licked their lips.
‘Though I don’t think,’ added Deep Thought, ‘that you’re going to like it.’
‘Doesn’t matter… We must know it! Now!’
‘Now?’ enquired Deep Thought.
‘Yes! Now…’
‘All right,’ said the computer and settled into silence again… the tension was unbearable.
‘The Answer to the Great Question… Is’… said Deep Thought, and paused.
‘Yes…!’
‘Is…’
‘Yes…!!!…?’
‘Forty-two,’ said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.
It was a long time before anyone spoke.
‘It was a tough assignment,’ said Deep Thought mildly.
‘Forty-two!… Is that all you’ve got to show for seven and a half million years’ work?’
‘I checked it very thoroughly,’ said the computer, ‘and that quite definitely is the answer.’
Prior to investigating the merit of Deep Thought’s (really Douglas Adam’s) answer of 42, there is another number which has endeavoured to steal forty-two’s limelight in recent years.
And that number is seventy-three.
Made popular by Sheldon Cooper on the hit comedy television show, The Big Bang Theory. Sheldon has an obsession for his favourite number, calling it his “best number” even though contrarily his perfect room temperature is 72 degrees (22.22 celsius). In one episode he calls 73 the “Chuck Norris of numbers.”
Sheldon is seen sporting the number on T-shirts in various episodes and it is in season four, episode ten – The Alien Parasite Hypothesis – he first divulges his love for the number, which was the 73rd appearance of actor Jim Parsons on the show – at the age of.. 37. It is also the year Parsons was born in 1973.
Jim Parsons aka Sheldon Cooper
Sheldon explains why the number is special:
It is the 21st prime number and also a mirror prime. Prime numbers are those that are whole numbers with no fractional component (integers) and only divisible by themselves or by 1. Its mirror number 37 is the 12th prime number and its mirror 21 is the product of multiplying seven and three. In binary, 73 is a palindrome: 1-0-0-1-0-0-1, which backwards is also 1-0-0-1-0-0-1 and composed of seven (7) digits, with three (3) ones. This makes it one of the few palindromous binary primes.
According to Mike Manz, the number 73 is especially unique for the following reasons:
‘… if we obtain the positions of the “1” of 73 in binary (1001001), we have that these are position 0, position 3 and position 6. The binary code is base 2, and if the 2 to each of the positions we have:
2^0 = 1
2^3 = 8
2^6 = 64
And what is 64+8+1? Exactly, 73!
In the octal system (base 8) 73 is represented as 111, which is also a palindrome.
These characteristics make this number truly unique, so unique that some scientists who are fans of the series made a mathematical demonstration that no matter how many prime numbers are calculated, only 73 will meet this series of characteristics. It is a formal investigation, it is called “the Sheldon conjecture” and you can read it here –
Additional curiosities:
‘The number 2 is the only prime number that is even.
In 1963, mathematician Stanislaw Ulam created a visual method to look for patterns among prime numbers. By writing consecutive numbers in a square spiral and marking the primes, Ulam discovered surprisingly dense diagonal lines of prime numbers, suggesting underlying patterns in their distribution. This is known as The Spiral of Ulam.
… prime numbers are the basis of mathematics and many scientific and technological principles. For example, prime numbers are the basis of digital certificates, mobile communications, cryptographic hashes that mean that even if Google has your password, it cannot know which one it is…
Prime numbers, like the set of all numbers, are infinite, but the larger they are, the more difficult it is to calculate the next prime number. As happens when mining cryptocurrencies (whose base is prime numbers), the more cryptocurrencies are calculated, the more complex it is to calculate the next one.
The largest prime number discovered has more than 23 million digits and is the result of -1 + 2^77232917. Which also makes it a member of the select club of “Mersenne Primes”, which are those prime numbers that comply with the formula (-1 + 2^x), with x also being a prime number. There are currently only about 50 Mersenne primes discovered.’
John Bartley: ‘73 also means “Best Regards” to telegraphers and amateur radio operators worldwide… you know, the folks who pioneered digital communications.’
While the number 73 is clearly a special number of and by itself, it’s uniqueness rather stops there. The number 42 on the other hand is a seemingly innocuous number, comprised of a plain four and a simple, well no, the number two is the first prime and the only even one at that. But compared to the impressive 73, the number 42 resides in its shadow. Where we will discover it shines, is in the fact the number 42 seems to be almost everywhere as we shall learn.
It’s a number with a lot of different meanings, both literal and abstract. It’s a number that can be found all over the place, both in the real world and in fiction. And it’s a number that just might help answer the greatest question of all, “What is the meaning of life?” – Katie Terrell Hanna.
Yet while a level of seriousness is being dedicated to the number 42, as the answer to everything, it was conceived as a humorously ironic joke.
Many suggestions have been offered on Adams’ inspiration in choosing the number 42, though he rejected them all. A persistent tale is of Adams’ ‘tribute to the indefatigable paperback and the average number of lines on an average paperback book.’ (1) In fact the fourth book in the series, the novel So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, contains 42 chapters. (2) Another popular theory is that 42 refers to the number of laws in cricket, a recurring theme of the books. (3)
When pressed on his reasoning, Douglas eventually admitted:
“The answer to this is very simple. It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base thirteen, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat at my desk, stared into the garden and thought 42 will do. I typed it out. End of story.”
Adams added: “A completely ordinary number, a number not just divisible by two but also six and seven. In fact it’s the sort of number that you could, without any fear, introduce to your parents.”
Adams always maintained the number forty-two had no secret or hidden meanings. In an interview with Iain Johnstone on BBC Radio 4 (recorded in 1998 though never broadcast) to celebrate the first radio broadcast’s 20th anniversary, he elucidated further. ‘Having decided it should be a number, he tried to think what an “ordinary number” should be. He ruled out non-integers, then he remembered having worked as a “prop-borrower” for John Cleese on his Video Arts training videos.
Cleese needed a funny number for the punchline to a sketch involving a bank teller (himself) and a customer (Tim Brooke-Taylor).’ Adams recollected that the number that Cleese came up with was 42 and he decided to use it too. (4)
Interestingly, Douglas Adams had written a sketch for The Burkiss Way, called “42 Logical Positivism Avenue”, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, fourteen months before the Hitchhiker’s Guide first broadcast the number forty-two. (5)
The year before his untimely death, Adams responded to a panelist’s question on the radio show, Book Club in January 2000 – “Where does the number 42 come from?”
He replied that ‘on his way to work one morning, whilst still writing the scene, and was thinking about what the actual answer should be. He eventually decided that it should be something that made no sense whatsoever – a number, and a mundane one at that. And that is how he arrived at the number 42, completely at random.’
John Lloyd, a collaborator on Adams’ The Meaning of Liff and two Hitchhiker’s fits, said that Douglas called 42 “the funniest of the two-digit numbers.”
Rather mysteriously, Stephen Fry comedian and former friend of Adams, ‘claims that Adams told him “exactly why 42”, and that the reason is “fascinating, extraordinary and, when you think hard about it, completely obvious.” However, Fry says that he has vowed not to tell anyone the secret, and that it must go with him to the grave.’
Online Encyclopaedia: The number 42 ‘is a pronic number [no not an ironic number] an abundant number as well as a highly abundant number [at that], a practical number, an admirable number, and a Catalan number.’
Phew, that is a lot of responsibility for a number.
Encyclopaedia: ‘A pronic number is a number that is the product of two consecutive integers, that is, a number of the form. The study of these numbers dates back to Aristotle. They are also called oblong numbers, heteromecic numbers, or rectangular numbers.
In number theory, an abundant number or excessive number is a positive integer for which the sum of its proper divisors is greater than the number. The integer 12 is the first abundant number. Its proper divisors are 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 for a total of 16.
In number theory, a practical number or panarithmic number is a positive integer such that all smaller positive integers can be represented as sums of distinct divisors of.
The Catalan numbers are a sequence of natural numbers that occur in various counting problems, often involving recursively defined objects. They are named after Eugène Catalan, though they were previously discovered in the 1730s by Minggatu.’
The relevance of the number 42 and its starring role in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy have been referenced by this writer in three previous articles (as well as a couple of others inadvertently). We will use these as a springboard to begin before investigating its further array of usages.
In Chapter XXII Alpha & Omega, we explored what caused the planet Uranus to flip and rotate horizontally on its side at a 98 degree axis tilt.
As an aside, Sheldon mentions the planet a couple of times. In the episode “The Pants Alternative”, while accepting an award before an audience while drunk, Sheldon shows the astronomers in the audience a “moon” and then says, “and here’s Uranus.” Again in the episode “The Sales Call Sublimation”, after Raj and Sheldon discover an asteroid and discuss what to name it, Sheldon says to pick a name people can’t make fun of since Johann Elert Bode did no favours to Uranus.
A case in point is the question of how many earths can fit in Uranus? Sixty-three, apparently. We digress.
The subsequent flipping of Uranus means that the poles are parallel to the plane of the solar system, not perpendicular like our Earth. Therefore, Uranus does not spin left to right, it spins up to down; so that for 42 years the south pole faces the Sun and then the north pole directly faces the sun for the following 42 years. (6)
In Appendix VI: Joseph & Imhotep – One man different name? It was mentioned how ‘Ancient Egypt was divided into 42 regions known as Nomes and these were headed by a provincial governor called a Nomarch, who invariably held considerable authority in their respective jurisdictions.’ (7)
Staying with ancient Egypt, the article The Pyramid Perplexity lifted the lid on the Tower of Babel. An interesting fact about the Great Pyramid:
‘It is worth noting that the dimensions of the Great Pyramid incorporate a number of fascinating numerical wonders… One is the fact that the slope angles of its sides are the angles required to see a rainbow. Light refracts through a water surface by 42 degrees to create a rainbow.’ (8)
‘This of itself is interesting because this dates the pyramid to at least after the time of the patriarch Noah – Chapter I Noah Antecessor Nulla. After the global cataclysm which nearly destroyed all life on Earth, the Creator established a covenantal agreement with Noah and his offspring to never destroy the Earth again, by flood at least – Article: The Younger Dryas Stadial: Ending of the Earth… Beginning of the World.
Retaining an Egyptian theme, we discovered a preference for the number forty-two in the article, Thoth.
Ma’at was the wife of Thoth. They were a perfect match as Ma’at was the goddess of harmony, truth, law and order, while Thoth was responsible for all the knowledge and wisdom in the world. Hence both deities featured heavily alongside each other during the judgment of dead souls. Now Ma’at had ideals or principles of which there were forty-two. (9) It is believed that Thoth was the framer of those principles.
Meanwhile, Clement of Alexandria was under the impression that the Egyptians had forty-two sacred writings of Hermes (Thoth), writings that detailed the training of Egyptian priests. (10)
‘Siegfried Morenz has suggested, in Egyptian Religion: “The reference to Thoth’s authorship… is based on ancient tradition; the figure forty-two probably stems from the number of Egyptian nomes, and thus conveys the notion of completeness.” The neoplatonic writers took up Clement’s “forty-two essential texts.”
Online source: ‘Modern occultists suggest that some Hermetic texts may be of Pharaonic origin, and that the legendary “forty-two essential texts” that contain the core Hermetic religious beliefs and philosophy of life, remain hidden in a secret library.’
Everet Dee reveals regarding these 42 books: ‘The forty-two were kept in the great Library of Alexandria, which was eventually destroyed. What remained moved to the Islamic world in 400-600 AD, before eventually re-emerging in Europe during the Renaissance. During… Medieval Europe Hermeticism was banned by the church, and the philosophy was forced underground. It was kept alive by secret societies such as the Freemasons, Rosicrucians, and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
Of the forty-two books, ten deal with sacrifices, ten with sacred rites, and two were hymns to the gods, as well as rules for how kings should govern. Four books were about astrology, and six about medicine. Today only a small handful remain, although their authenticity is sometimes called in to question by skeptics. These have been compiled into the Corpus Hermeticum.’
Further, Ancient Origins discuss the origin of the Emerald Tablet: ‘… the creator of the Emerald Tablet has been provided in myth as the Egyptian god Thoth, who… “divided his knowledge into 42 plates of emerald, codifying the great scientific principles ruling the Universe.” (11)
Additional expressions of the number 42 included in the article Thoth.
When using base 13: 610 × 910 = 5410, it can be expressed as 4213, In other words the decimal expression 54 is encoded as 42 in base 13. (12)
Katie Terrell Hanna explains how base 13 came to be used in reference to the number 42:
‘A BBC News radio script based on Adams’ book introduces this concept with the following lines:
A caveman lays out the following sentence in Scrabble stones: “What do you get if you multiply six by nine?”
Arthur: “Six by nine? Forty-two? You know, I’ve always felt that there was something fundamentally wrong with the Universe.”
A faint and distant voice then says: “Base thirteen!”
What is base 13 and how is it related to the number 42?
Base 13 (otherwise known as a tri-decimal or tre-decimal) is a positional number system that holds 13 as its base. It uses 13 digits to represent numbers. It should be known however that Base 13 is not used in any practical situation. The number 42 is not a particularly significant number in base 13.’
No, and in response to this being the intention of Adams when choosing 42, he said:
“I may be a sorry case, but I don’t write jokes in base 13.”
Similar to what we learned about the number 73, the number 42 is 101010 in base 2. Hence 42 is a significant number in binary code, as this particular pattern of zeros and ones appears often in mathematical and computer-related contexts. (13)
Two physical constants in the universe are the speed of light and the diameter of a proton. It takes light 10 to the minus 42nd power seconds to cross the diameter of a proton. (14)
In the article, The Truly Big Questions, the biggest questions of all were tackled head on. One, which was certainly worthy of Sheldon’s attention was, Will we ever have a theory of everything?
While this writer’s whole answer cannot be replicated in this article, mention was made to Douglas Adams posing a similar question.
‘What a question… and wouldn’t every scientist like to know its answer. As luck would have it, an English author gave the world the answer in 1978. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a comic science fiction series originally broadcast on radio and created by Douglas Adams.
Online Encyclopaedia: “In the radio series and the first novel, a group of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings demand to learn the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, The Universe, and Everything from the supercomputer Deep Thought, specially built for this purpose. It takes Deep Thought 7 1/2 million years to compute and check the answer, which turns out to be 42. Deep Thought points out that the answer seems meaningless because the beings who instructed it never knew what the question was.”
‘Mystery solved. That said, the series also reveals: “There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory mentioned, which states that this has already happened.” A character in the series called Prak who ‘knows all that is true’ “confirms that 42 is indeed The Answer, and that it is impossible for both The Answer and The Question to be known in the same universe, as they will cancel each other out and take the Universe with them…”
Well, we will not give up just yet and keep searching for meaning behind the number forty-two.
In certain Spanish speaking countries, there is a phrase, “42 es la respuesta a la pregunta final” or “42 is the answer to the final question.” (15)
Forty-two is the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) code for the asterisk * symbol. (16) It signifies a wildcard character on the keyboard. Katie Hanna: ‘This symbol is often thought to translate to anything or everything. In this instance, 42 equals everything, the meaning of life.’
Math may play a part in the meaning of everything:
13 = M
1 = A
20 = T
8 = H
Thus, 13+1+20+8 = 42 (17)
Encyclopaedia: ‘The 42-sided tetracontadigon is the largest such regular polygon that can only tile a vertex alongside other regular polygons, without tiling the plane.’ (18)
‘The magic constant or magic sum of a magic square is the sum of numbers in any row, column, or diagonal of the magic square. In mathematics, a magic cube is the 3-dimensional equivalent of a magic square, that is, a collection of integers arranged in an n × n × n pattern such that the sums of the numbers on each row, on each column, on each pillar and on each of the four main space diagonals are equal…
42 is the magic constant of the smallest non-trivial magic cube, a 3×3×3 cube with entries of 1 through 27, where every row, column, corridor, and diagonal passing through the center sums to forty-two. (19) 42 can be expressed as the sum of three cubes’ – Article: 33.
Encyclopaedia: ‘The Rubik’s Cube is a 3D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the puzzle was licensed by Rubik to be sold by Pentangle Puzzles in the UK in 1978, and then by Ideal Toy Corp in 1980… The cube was released internationally in 1980 and became one of the most recognized icons in popular culture.’ (20)
The number forty-two, thanks entirely to Douglas Adams has etched itself into modern folklore and memory so that the line is blurred in many instances on who has influenced what in connection to the use of the number 42 and or its symbolism.
For instance even Google has a calculator when one searches “the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.” Once typed, the calculator answers with the number 42. (21)
The number 42 is used frequently as a seed for pseudorandom number generators in source code, including the machine learning field. (22)
Due to its ubiquity, machine intelligences will now often respond with 42 when asked for a random number. (23)
There are numerous cultural references which we will attempt to catalogue. For example, the Allen Telescope Array, a radio telescope used by SETI, has 42 dishes in homage to the Answer. (24)
The British television show The Kumars at No. 42 is so named because show creator Sanjeev Bhaskar is a Hitchhiker’s fan. (25)
In the American TV show Lost, 42 is the last of the mysterious lottery like numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42. It plays an important role and appears repeatedly throughout the series.
In an interview with Lostpedia, producer David Fury confirmed this was a reference to Hitchhiker’s. (26)
The band Coldplay’s album Viva la Vida includes a song called ’42’ about life and death. When asked by Q if the song’s title was Hitchhiker’s related, Chris Martin said unconvincingly, “It is and it isn’t.” (27)
The band Level 42 chose its name in reference to the book. (28)
The episode “42” of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who was named in reference to the Answer. (29) Writer Chris Chibnall acknowledged that “it’s a playful title.” During the episode, the Doctor has exactly 42 minutes to rescue his crew, which is aboard a spaceship hurtling towards the sun. (30)
Ken Jennings defeated along with Brad Rutter in a Jeopardy! match against IBM’s Watson, wrote that Watson’s avatar which appeared on-screen for those games showed 42 “threads of thought,” shown as colourful lines spinning around Watson’s logo, and that the number was chosen in reference to this meme. (31)
The Hitchhiker knitting pattern, designed by Martina Behm, is a scarf with 42 teeth (32)
In The Flash, Season 4, Episode 1 (one of Sheldon Cooper’s favourite super heroes), Cisco in trying to decipher what Barry is writing explicitly says that what Barry says might solve answer to the Life, the Universe and Everything, which Caitlin suggests is 42. (33)
In The X-Files, Fox Mulder lives in apartment 42. This has been acknowledged by the show’s creator, Chris Carter, as a reference to Hitchhiker’s. (34)
Agent Scully at Mulder’s door
The number 47 appears often throughout the Star Trek franchise. When producer Rick Berman was asked about the unusual frequency of the number, he stated, “47 is 42, corrected for inflation.” (35)
‘In the French comic series Ducobu (a non-sci-fi comedy about a hilariously ignorant student and his unending attempts at cheating at a maths test, in a Wile E. Coyote-esque style, there is a recurring gag that the only question Ducobu ever has to answer is “what is 6 multiplied by 7”, and he never, ever figures out that the answer is 42.’ (36)
The games developer Mens Sana Interactive released a computer game called “The Answer is 42” on Steam in December 2019. The game consists of 100 puzzles, each of which is a grid of numbers that must be connected to sum 42. (37)
The 42nd episode of The Spawn Chunks (a Minecraft podcast) is titled ‘Life, The Universe and Pillaging.’ (38)
‘In the Stargate Atlantis Season 4 episode Quarantine, 42 are the last two digits in Rodney McKay’s password. After John Sheppard explains to Teyla the meaning of the previous twelve digits, she asks him what 42 is. Then, John says, “It’s the ultimate answer to the great question of life, the universe, and everything,” at which point Teyla looks confused.’ (39)
In the PC game Spore, once reaching the centre of the galaxy, Steve the UFO presents you with the ‘Staff of Light’ that can make any planet livable – but can only be used 42 times. (40)
Encyclopaedia: ‘The jersey number [42] of Jackie Robinson, which is the only number retired by all Major League Baseball teams. Although the number was retired in 1997, Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, the last professional baseball player to wear number 42, continued to wear it until he retired at the end of the 2013 season. As of the 2014 season, no player ever again wore the number 42 in Major League Baseball except on Jackie Robinson Day (April 15), when all uniformed personnel (players, managers, coaches, and umpires) wear the number. (41)
42 is a film on the life of American baseball player Jackie Robinson. (42)
Miles Morales was bitten by a spider bearing the number 42, causing him to become a Spider-Man. The number was later heavily referenced in the film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The use of 42 within the franchise references Jackie Robinson’s use of the number, though many fans incorrectly believed it to be a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference.’ (43)
When the movie The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, premiered in 2005 it raked in £4.2 million at the box office. As Buzzfeed remark: “That’s one spooky coincidence.” (44)
In Japanese culture, the number 42 is considered unlucky because the numerals when pronounced separately – shi ni (four two) – sound like the word ‘dying’, like the Latin word mori. (45)
According to Freethink Media, Inc. (2024, January 15), question: How many times must you fold a paper to reach the Moon? The answer: a sheet of A4 copy paper would require 42 half-folds in order to reach the Moon from the surface of Earth. (46)
Author and mathematician Lewis Carroll preceded Douglas Adams choice of the number 42 by 113 years when he published Rule 42 in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, where it states “All persons more than a mile high to leave the court.” (47) Of note is that in the original book, the artist John Tenniel provided 42 wood-engraved illustrations for the book. (48)
In the motion picture Finding Nemo, Dory and Marlin are on a mission ‘to 42 Wallaby Way to, well, find Nemo.’ (49)
In the series Supernatural, the episode “Inside Man” features a door labelled 42 that leads to the gate of heaven. (50)
The name of an electronic dance track by Deadmau5 and Wolfgang Gartner is called Channel 42. (51)
On the popular board game Risk – about world domination – the map is divided into 42 territories. (52)
The number forty-two perhaps unsurprisingly – as it was important in ancient Egypt and to the likes of the gods, Thoth and Ma’at – has spiritual significance and is highlighted as having relevancy in the Bible.
The number 42 is significant in some Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism where many believe a person reaches Nirvana or Moksha, which is the final goal of life, around the age of 42. (53) ‘Of course, there is no actual set age for this experience.’ Just as well as what happens when one reaches past the age of forty-two?
Encyclopaedia: ‘In Judaism, by some traditions the Torah scroll is written with no fewer than 42 lines per column, based on the journeys of Israel.In the present day, 42 lines is the most common standard, but various traditions remain in use. (54)
42 is the number with which God creates the Universe in Kabbalistic tradition. (55)
In Kabbalah, the most significant name is that of the En Sof (also known aa “Infinite” or “Endless”), who is above the Sefirot. The Forty-Two-Lettered Name contains four combined names which are spelled in Hebrew letters (spelled in letters = 42 letters), which is the name of Azilut (or “Emanation”). (56)
While there are obvious links between the Forty-Two Lettered Name of the Babylonian Talmud (57) and the Kabbalah’s Forty-Two Lettered Name, they are probably not identical because of the Kabbalah’s emphasis on numbers.
42 letters make the Ana beKo’ach prayer.’ (58)
Spiritual Desk – emphasis mine:
‘The spiritual number 42 holds significant meaning in various religious and spiritual contexts, symbolizing growth, progress, harmony, and spiritual awakening.
In numerology, numbers are believed to hold specific vibrations and energies that can influence a person’s life. The number 42 combines the energies of 4 and 2, which signifies stability and balance, as well as duality and partnership. This combination represents a strong support system, receptivity, and cooperation, making it a powerful spiritual number.
The number 42 has a profound spiritual significance… [appearing] frequently in religious texts and significant events… [and] holds significant spiritual symbolism and representation across various belief systems.
Ancient Egyptian Culture:
Associated the number 42 with the 42 gods and goddesses who judged the deceased in the afterlife. (59)
These deities asked 42 questions to determine the righteousness of the soul, influencing the fate of the deceased. (60)
Hinduism:
Regards the number 42 through the 42-letter long syllable ‘Om Namah Shivaya.’ This sacred mantra signifies surrender and devotion to Lord Shiva, representing the ultimate reality. (61)
For individuals who encounter the number 42 repeatedly in their lives, it may serve as a gentle reminder to delve deeper into their spiritual journey, seek answers within themselves, and embrace the path of self-discovery.’
From a biblical perspective, the number 42 does not fail to deliver. The number four represents a foundation and the building built on top of it. For example, a pyramid with four sides – Article: The Pyramid Perplexity. The number four (apart from the number one) represents the Creator, the Eternal One in the Old Testament and the Father of the New Testament. The Tetragrammaton (YHWH) is the four letter word for the name and identity of God. The number two represents balance as in a male and female for example and for God who is one and who was later joined by the Word then making two – Article: Arius, Alexander & Athanasius.
Adding four and two equals six. Six represents not only the humans created during the Sixth Day (epoch), but also transgression and rebellion, typified by the number 666 – Articles: Homo neanderthalensis I, II, III & IV; and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. So it is illuminating that 42 derives from multiplying six by seven. Just as the number six is drenched in physicality and all the weaknesses associated with that incomplete state; the number seven is washed in spiritual perfection and subsequently completion.
One could say that ostensibly the number 42 is the beginning point of a journey of discovery in the physical realm that is our Universe… leading to the vitally important path out of it. A human during their personal sojourn on Earth must first build a foundation that is based on the truth as revealed by the Eternal (number 4) and expressed to humanity by His Son (number 2). This is not Christianity (number 6) as we know it, but rather the Way (number 7) as taught by Christ and the apostles – refer articles: The Pauline Paradox; The Sabbath Secrecy; and The Seven Churches – A Message for the Church of God in the Latter Days.
Just as the number six is obvious in 4 + 2 = 6, it is also hidden like seven in 6 x 7 = 42. Even so, the number six is represented twice and the number seven once. This shows that the number 42’s value is (two-thirds) pulled towards physical matter, yet with a built in path to progress (one-third) in the bid to escape and build a spiritual nature – Article: Principalities & Potentates: What they want… Who they are; and Chapter XXII Alpha & Omega.
Therefore, the dual profundity of the number 42 lays in it not just being an answer to the greatest question asked, but the necessary staring point in a human’s odyssey to truly find the answers to the Universe (and everything).
The number 42 is in effect leading one to understand that in seeking the answer to everything, one must first begin at the beginning. In so doing the number 42 represents a transition in a persons development… a transitional process for the inhabitants of the Earth.
This writer has scoured the scriptures and discovered four direct and three indirect references to the number 42. Any other findings offered by readers would be of great interest and welcomed. Admittedly it had been hoped the number would be six as this seemed appropriate (4 + 2 = 6). Yet, the number seven is perhaps more revealing in this context (42 = 6 x 7).
There is an eighth reference which will be discussed following the other seven as it is a personal viewpoint. That said, the number eight (8) like omega (∞) is endless, unlimited and represents the concept of eternity. This is extremely significant (4 x 2 = 8) and the constant reader will be all too aware of the incredible destiny being afforded to humanity should an individual choose… to accept the mission.
The first (not chronological) reference to the number forty-two in the Bible is in reference to Christ’s family tree on his mother Mary’s side (Matthew 1:1-16) – refer article: Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
Matthew 1:17
English Standard Version
‘So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.’
Thus from Christ’s ancestor Abraham to himself there is recorded a total (14+14+14 = 42) of 42 generations. (62)
The second reference is another genealogical record, noted by the scribe (and priest) Ezra when exiles from the Babylonian captivity returned to Canaan. It is an interesting chapter in that numbers are either in thousands or hundreds, with only a handful under one hundred yet verse 24 (the inversion of 42) merely states forty-two, which stands out as the lowest number. (63)
Ezra 2:24
English Standard Version
‘The sons of Azmaveth, 42.’
Abarim Publications – emphasis & bold mine:
Azmaveth meaning, death is strong.
‘From (1) the verb (‘azaz), to be strong, and (2) the noun (mawet), death, from the verb (mut), to die or kill.
The name Azmaveth is remarkably popular in the Bible. It’s assigned to:
One of David’s [Mighty] Men… (1 Chronicles 11:33)… (2 Samuel 23:31).
A Benjaminite… (1 Chronicles 8:36).
One of David’s royal officers… (1 Chronicles 27:25).
Then there is an Azmaveth listed among the exilic returnees, mentioned by Ezra (2:24); Nehemiah calls him Beth-azmaveth (7:28), which typically looks like the name of a town. And both Ezra and Nehemiah place names of towns on their lists… so it’s not clear whether the Azmaveth of Ezra 2:24 is a man or a town. On top of everything, Nehemiah makes mention of a town called Azmaveth in Nehemiah 12:29.’
The third reference is during the time of King Jehu (841-814 BCE) of the Kingdom of Israel. King Jehu went on a rampage, murdering all the evil family related to a previous wicked king, Ahab. Jehu even executed family of the King of Judah, Ahaziah. Of which there were 42 people. (64) The irony being that Jehu himself was not willing to give up worship of false gods and so he too is counted a wicked king (2 Kings 10:29-31).
2 Kings 10:13-14
English Standard Version
‘Jehu met the relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah, and he said, “Who are you?” And they answered, “We are the relatives of Ahaziah, and we came down to visit the royal princes and the sons of the queen mother.” He said, “Take them alive.” And they took them alive and slaughtered them at the pit of Beth-eked, forty–two persons, and he spared none of them.’
A fourth reference involves Elijah’s successor, the formidable Elisha. An incredible incident which contains more than meets the eye. Coincidently, the key verse is again verse 24, the inversion of 42.
2 Kings 2:23-25
English Standard Version
‘[Elisha] went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small [H6996 – qatan: little, young] boys [H5288 – na’ar: babe, young, youth] came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore [H1234 – baqa: split, cleave, rent, break, burst, rip open, pieces] forty–two of the boys. From there he went on to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.’ (65)
There are some salient points in this passage. Elisha was the Eternal’s servant. Elisha had received a double portion of Holy Spirit following the departure of Elijah. Elisha had recently lost his friend and mentor. It is likely Elisha had shaved his head. This act in ancient times was associated with repentance and significantly, mourning – Job 1:20, Isaiah 15:2. Such a large group of very young boys spelt trouble. They had gone rogue in a Lord of the Flies kind of way. The boys had gone beyond just being disrespectful to a holy prophet. It wasn’t humorous teasing about being bald in a ‘Boaty McBoatface’ way. They had been threatening.
Elisha’s life was in danger. Forty-two people, even small ones can easily overcome and kill one person. The size of their group necessitated not just one bear but two. It is clear Elisha was being protected by the Eternal and was in the right. Elisha had not acted out of anger for being mocked, but because he recognised the threatening behaviour as a precursor to violence.
Additionally, the account does not say all the boys were killed. The assumption is that forty-two was the total number, but perhaps some fled for their lives. In that case, they would have learned not to attack a holy man in the service of the Eternal.
A pattern has emerged. One involving death. Recall Azmaveth includes death in its meaning. Though in the preceding two examples, death hasn’t been happenstance but as the consequence of wrongdoing or bluntly, sin.
The next and fifth reference is debated by some. We will look at the evidence and the reader can decide for themselves. It involves the sojourn of the Israelites in the wilderness following the Exodus and prior to entering the land of Canaan – Appendix VII: Moses, the Exodus & the Red Sea Crossing – Fabrication or Fact?
The question is whether the elapsed number of years was forty or forty-two. In Numbers chapter thirty-three the encampments of the trekking Israelites are listed.
Rameses
Succoth
Etham
Pihahiroth
Marah
Elim
the Red sea
the wilderness of Sin
Dophkah
Alush
Rephidim
the wilderness of Sinai
Kibrothhattaavah
Hazeroth
Rithmah
Rimmonparez
Libnah
Rissah
Kehelathah
Mount Shapher
Haradah
Makheloth
Tahath
Tarah
Mithcah
Hashmonah
Moseroth
Benejaakan
Horhagidgad
Jotbathah
Ebronah
Eziongaber
the wilderness of Zin (Kadesh-barnea*)
Mount Hor
Zalmonah
Punon
Oboth
Ijeabarim
Dibongad
Almondiblathaim
the mountains of Abarim
the plains of Moab
There are 42. (66) On this there is no debate.
Did the Israelites move camp once a year and so did they sojourn for forty-two years as proposed by some?
In Numbers chapter fourteen we learn of a spirit of rebellion amongst the Israelites which was about to escalate into a revolution and a return to Egypt. The Eternal punished the existing generation apart from the loyal Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 32:8); with wandering for forty years before entering the promised land. This allowed for all those who had exited Egypt, witnessed all the spectacular miracles, yet still disbelieved and grumbled, to die.
Now the Israelites had travelled for two years (Numbers 9:1-2, 17-23; 10:11-12, 33; 11:19-20; 12:15; 13:25) prior to the Eternal’s decision to make them wander forty years, after spying out the land of Canaan while camped at Kadesh-barnea.* Yet as can be seen above, they had only a few camps (nine) after this time compared with the many (33) during only two years beforehand. Thus each single encampment does not represent a calendrical year.
Deuteronomy 2:14-15
English Standard Version
‘And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn to them. For indeed the hand of the Lord was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.’
Verse fourteen provides pivotal information, for we discover that the Israelites wandered a total of forty years and not for forty-two. The Eternal decided to extend grace and commute part of their sentence so that the two years already spent wandering was served towards the required forty years in total.
This fits with what we know of the chronology of the Exodus; the age of Moses at his death; the period the Israelites spent conquering Canaan; and the age of Caleb.
According to an unconventional chronology, the Exodus occurred in 1446 BCE, when Moses was 80 years old. The two year sojourn to Kadesh-barnea and spying of the land took place in 1444 BCE when Caleb was forty years old. Thirty-eight years later, Moses dies at age 120 (Deuteronomy 34:7) and the Israelites begin their seven year conquest of Canaan in 1406 BCE. Seven years later (counting inclusively) in 1400 BCE during the allotment of land, for the conquest is complete, Caleb is 85 years old – Joshua 14:7-12.
The number forty in the Bible is always associated with testing and trial. The number forty-two isn’t. Though as we have learned so far, the number 42 is symbolic of a transition and so the forty-two encampments certainly align with this symbolism of a transitional period in the aftermath of sin and resulting in, unfortunately… death.
The sixth Bible reference regarding the number forty-two bears an interesting alignment perhaps with the preceding point. It is likely the most well known amongst believers, christians and biblical scholars. While it is classed as one reference, it is mentioned four times in the mysterious Book of Revelation.
Revelation 11:1-3
English Standard Version
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample (Abomination of Desolation – Matthew 24:15, Daniel 7:19; 9:26-27) the holy city for forty–two months. (67a) And I will grant authority to my two witnesses (Zechariah 4:14), and they will prophesy for 1,260 days [42 months], clothed in sackcloth.” (67b)
It is not this writer’s purpose to investigate these verses here or similar ones to follow in depth as they have been thoroughly dissected in previous chapters and articles. Constant readers will now be able to marry those discussions with our current observations on the number forty-two. In the Bible, a prophetic month is 30 days long and so 1,260 days equals 42 months.
Revelation 13:4-5
English Standard Version
‘And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast (Abaddon – Revelation 9:11), and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast (Bear – Daniel 7:5), and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority (Daniel 7:25) for forty–two months.’ (67c)
Revelation 12:6
English Standard Version
‘… and the woman (Luke 12:32) fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God (Hosea 2:14), in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days [42 months].’ (67d)
Notice the number 1,260 (days) is associated in a positive expression about a good person or group; whereas 42 (months) in comparison is a demonstration in negativity and evil oppression.
The two witnesses proclaim on the Eternal’s behalf, yet they are in mourning as they are wearing sackcloth (goes hand in hand with shaving the head) and… they will die (Revelation 11:7-8). The woman is the body of Christ, true believers who like the Israelites of old, will be supernaturally protected and nourishedduring a momentous transitional period – Article: The Manna Mystery. In contrast, an antichrist figure will bring both spiritual and physical death to the world for 42 months in a transitional period of great tribulation never ever seen before or ever again – Matthew 24:21.
The seventh biblical reference to the number forty-two is the many-layered work, the Book of Job which comprises 42 chapters – refer Article: Job. (68)
The Book of Job contains a host of profound revelations and in a sense ties up some seemingly loose ends in the themes discussed this far.
‘He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth and makes them wander in a trackless waste’ (wilderness) – Job 12:24 (inversion* of 42), ESV. Behold, like wild donkeys in the desert the poor go out to their toil, seeking game; the wasteland yields food (manna) for their children… They are wet with the rain of the mountains and cling to the rock (the rock that was Christ – 1 Corinthians 10:4) for lack of shelter – Job 24*:5, 8, ESV.
Compare Job with the book of 1 Kings.
Job 30:3-7
New King James Version
‘They are gaunt from want and famine,
Fleeing late to the wilderness, desolate and waste,
Who pluck mallow by the bushes, And broom tree roots for their food.
They were driven out from among men, They shouted at them as at a thief.
They had to live in the clefts of the valleys, In caves of the earth and the rocks.
Among the bushes they brayed, Under the nettles they nestled.’
1 Kings 19:4-9
New King James Version
‘But he himself went a day’s journey (same term used fro the Israelites) into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree.
And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!”
Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”
Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.
And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”
So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Not only was Elijah close to Elisha, most scholars believe he is one of the two witnesses in the Book of Revelation. And the other possible witness? None other than Moses who led the Israelites in the wilderness and whom himself was a type of Christ as he prefigured and foreshadowed him. The constant reader will recall other biblical personalities who are possible candidates, though the case for Elijah particularly and Moses remains strong.
An intriguing connection is that of the two she bears in Elisha’s story with a verse in Job.
Job 38:31-32
The Voice
‘Can you bind together a cluster of twinkling stars – the seven sisters of Pleiades who keep company in the night sky? Can you loosen the cords of Orion’s bow?
Can you lead the stars of the Zodiac out in their proper seasons and guide the Bear [H5906 – ‘Ayish: Ursa Major constellation] with her cubs?’
Note, adjacent to the Ursa Major (Great Bear) is another bear, the Ursa Minor (Little Bear) constellation.
For a comprehensive explanation of these two verses, refer article: The Pyramid Perplexity.
The book of Job’s central theme is death. Death of the self. Job endured his own tribulation (recorded in 42 chapters just as the Israelites endured the trial in the wilderness over 42 way stations and the people of God will endure tribulation for 42 months) when he was sorely tried and lived in his own spiritual wilderness until he came to see himself as he really was. Perhaps the core of the number forty-two’s meaning and symbolism is no better expressed than by Job in the 42nd chapter no less.
Job 42:1-6
The Voice
‘Job answered the Eternal One…
I know You can do everything; nothing You do can be foiled or frustrated.
You asked, “Who is this that conceals counsel with empty words void of knowledge?”
And now I see that I spoke of – but did not comprehend – great wonders that are beyond me. I didn’t know.
You said, “Hear Me now, and I will speak. I’ll be asking the questions, and you will supply the answers.”
Before I knew only what I had heard of You, but now I have seen You.
Therefore I realize the truth: I disavow and mourn all I have said and repent in dust and ash.’
Job came to understand that life, purpose and truth were all bigger than himself and could only be found in God. Yet, not just knowing about God, but knowing Him. This can only be achieved by having a relationship with Him and this is something given to only the few (for now)… and only the few know that (Matthew 22:14).
Job was like a sizeable number of people, whether christian or not, whereby a person can be good, kind, generous and honest, even righteous like Job (Job 1:8, Ezekiel 14:14); but if they are not truly converted and walking with God – not merely talking at Him – then it all stops there. As it did for Job.
The Eternal wanted a real relationship with Job. How does one gain the attention of a wealthy ruler who has it all? Take it all away from him. And so God did just that to obtain his consideration. Only then was it that Job’s eyes were able to be opened to really see God and truly know Him (Revelation 3:18).
The eighth reference to forty-two is possibly of more interest to this writer and admittedly has a level of subjectivity. There are 66 books in the biblical canon – 39 in the Old Testament thanks to the Jews, though how they count them is a lesser number and 27 in the New Testament thanks to the might of the Universal Church in Rome.
In short the books of the Old Testament are legitimate, though can be counted differently. The New Testament is more complicated, whereby a large number are either forgeries or written by Paul, a false apostle – refer article: The Pauline Paradox. Thus seventeen books – including the thirteen ascribed to Paul – are dubious (from a strict doctrinal perspective).
The ten which can be trusted are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Hebrews, James, 1 John, Jude and Revelation. There are question marks over 2 Thessalonians and 1 Peter, though for now we will leave them.
The Jewish Bible of the Old Testament, the Tanach (TaNaKh) contains 24 (inversion of 42) books. Though Josephus records that there were twenty-two as he included Ruth with Judges and Lamentations with Jeremiah. The five books of the Law (Torah, Pentateuch); eight books of the Prophets, whereby the 12 minor prophets count as one; and the eleven books of the writings, with Ezra and Nehemiah counted as one. The two books of Samuel are counted as one, as are Kings and Chronicles.
An fascinating comment online:
‘Anyway, what I wanted to comment… is to say that you are not on shaky ground with your blog, because F. W. Grant quotes in his book “The Numerical Bible, Fourth Edition” was published in 1903. And he quotes the following:
“The number forty-two is also significant. It is the number of… books in the Hebrew Bible. This suggests that the number forty-two represents the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom, and from ignorance to knowledge.”
I think that quote is on page 18 of the book.’
Dr Elaine Goodfriend – emphasis mine:
‘The Torah is often thought of and treated as one book, nevertheless, it is comprised of five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. This division is marked in the Torah scroll itself, which is written as one long document, on pieces of parchment sewn together, and includes a 4-line break between each book (see Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 273).
It is attested in all text traditions, MT, SP, and LXX, and is taken for granted by the religious groups that canonize the Torah, such as the Jews, Samaritans, and Christians. Nevertheless, the division of the Torah into five books is not mentioned explicitly anywhere in the Bible…
The 2nd century B.C.E. Letter of Aristeas (which tells the origins of the Septuagint Pentateuch translation), refers to the books and “rolls” (τὰ τεύχη) of the Jews, i.e., treating the Torah as plural. Nevertheless, it does not specify the number five.’
Torah Scroll
This writer sincerely holds that there are in fact thirty-two books comprising the Old Testament and therefore a total of 42 legitimate and trusted books in the rightful biblical canon. (69) So that the Writings include fourteen books; the Prophets, seventeen books; and the books of the Law, one.
Major Prophets:
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor Prophets:
Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Historical:
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, (1 & 2 Samuel), (1 & 2 Kings), (1 & 2 Chronicles), Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
Wisdom & Poetry :
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
Graced Guide:
‘The number 42 is seen by some mathematicians and numerologists as a transitional number, bridging different stages, realms, or levels of development. This aligns with the transitional nature of the Israelites’ 42-stage journey.
The number 42 represents completeness and fullness, specifically regarding a period of trial, suffering, or judgment. It underscores the severity of consequences for defiant rebellion against God. The number 42 only appears a handful of times [in the Bible], but clearly carries weight when it does!’
As a self proclaimed ‘radical atheist’, Douglas Adams regrettably outsmarted himself, using his own wisdom of folly in denying his Creator. A pitfall much of humanity fall into, when they delude themselves as atheists or in worshiping the wrong god in a false religion.
Romans 1:18-22
Good News Translation
“God’s anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known… because what can be known about God is plain… for God himself made it plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all… their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. They say they are wise, but they are fools.”
Douglas Adams in endeavouring to pick an ironic and humorous answer to the greatest question of life and thus selecting just a plain ole simple number, inadvertently chose perhaps one of if not the most (tongue in cheek) important numbers in the Universe and by chance (or inspired design) selected the number that is maybe not just the end to everything, but incredibly, the starting point for all things.
The End rather, the Beginning…
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Proverbs 14:12 English Standard Version
… But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33 English Standard Version
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss everyone off.”
Gloria Steinem
“Perhaps the most compelling piece of evidence is this: Donated blood lasts only 42 days. (70) So maybe it is the answer to life, the universe, and everything after all.”
Buzzfeed
(Refer article: Rhesus Negative Blood Factor)
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Post Scriptum
The Georgia Guidestones ironically built to withstand a devastating calamity in March 1980 only lasted forty-two years and four months and were easily destroyed in July 2022 (71) – Article: The Top Ten Unexplained Mysteries of all Time.
Addendum
According to Paul Johnson there are 42 abominations to God listed in the Bible (72).
While Christianity is a heretical religion, offering a false path to salvation; there are in contradistinction, 42 Bible verses regarding the true Way, as taught by Christ and the apostles (73) – refer articles: The Pauline Paradox; and The Seven Churches – A Message for the Church of God in the Latter Days.
The Pyramid Perplexity: ‘Astronomers refer to Orion as M42 and it is there where stars are being born (74). The Orion constellation is one of the most prominent star formations in the night sky and has seven stars with known planets.’
Similarly in the Taurus constellation there is the Pleiades star cluster (asterism) known as the Seven Sisters with one designation being Collinder 42 (75).
Dedicated gamers will be aware of the Capcom Playstation franchise, Resident Evil. In the first game (1996) there is a mutant carnivorous (man eating) plant developed from the T-Virus. It is called Plant 42 (76).
The Lightkeeper 