How Common Is Fear of the Number 13?
The fear of the number 13 is common enough to have its own phobia named after it. That isn’t to say, however, that everyone walking down the street has a fear of the number 13. This phobia, known as triskaidekaphobia, dates back centuries and is loosely related to the fear of Friday the 13th. At points in history, this fear was so common that groups of people began to develop clubs dedicated to debunking the fear; they would meet on the 13th day of the month at the thirteenth hour just to prove that nothing bad would happen. Fear of the number 13 has many roots, many of them historically accurate and others simply mythological or altogether false. A common myth is that the thirteenth article of the Code of Hammurabi was omitted, but in reality, the code was not numbered. Others believe the fear of the number 13 has biblical origins; the twelve apostles gathered with Jesus at the last supper, and Judas was the thirteenth person to sit down at the table. Judas later betrayed Jesus. But e
