13

The Number of Bad Luck. Why is that? Perhaps it was the Last Supper, where Judas, the 13th Apostle, betrayed Christ, thus cursing the number. Maybe it was the Knights Templar, who were massacred Friday, October 13, 1307 (a stranger date could note be hoped for). Or perhaps still it was a repressed pagan goddess/lunar cult, with 13 full moons representing the 13 menstrual cycles in year, who were deemed demonic and evil by the early Catholic Church. Regardless of how it started, 13 has quite the reputation. 13 is the infamous Death Card in the Tarot Deck. Apollo 13, one of NASA's attempts to send men to the moon, turned into a near fatal disaster. This number has also been the inspiration for countless items of horror culture, ranging from music (Wednesday 13, Black Sabbath's 13 album), to television and film (Thirteen Ghosts, Friday the 13th, Warehouse 13). If we can be certain of one thing, it is this: 13's reputation is not going away any time soon.