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05-02-2021, 05:44 AM

# 15 (permalink)

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Join Date: Nov 2018

Posts: 5,171

Why do there have to be 12 Steps in a recovery program? A couple of times there are steps that seem like one step broken apart, as if they were broken apart to arrive at 12. There are also 12 traditions. I always assumed it was a Biblical device possibly in reference to the 12 Apostles, but the number 12 is also symbolically important to the Christian and Hebrew texts in many other ways. And what I did not know until looking it up is that 12 has religious significance well beyond Judaism and Christian religions. There may be 12 Steps for the same reason there were 12 Apostles, specifically because of the magical qualities attributed to 12 in religion and mythology.

As for secular 12 step programs, I assume they use that format to indicate secular value in the original 12 steps or maybe to ride on the coattails of AA. As newer approaches to recovery gain strength, I would expect the emphasis on the properties of 12 to be less significant.

Quote:

Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_(number)

Religion

The number twelve carries religious, mythological and magical symbolism, generally representing perfection, entirety, or cosmic order in traditions since antiquity.[13]

Ancient Greek religion

The Twelve Olympians are the principal gods of the pantheon, they were preceded by twelve Titans, and Hercules carries out twelve labours.[14]
Several sets of twelve cities are identified in history as a dodecapolis, the most familiar being the Etruscan League. In ancient Rome, the twelve lictors carried fasces of twelve rods.

Judaism and Christianity

The significance is especially pronounced in the Hebrew Bible.

Ishmael - the first-born son of Abraham - has 12 sons/princes (Genesis 25:16), and Jacob also has 12 sons, who are the progenitors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.[15] This is reflected in Christian tradition, notably in the twelve Apostles. When Judas Iscariot is disgraced, a meeting is held (Acts) to add Saint Matthias to complete the number twelve once more. The Book of Revelation contains much numerical symbolism, and many of the numbers mentioned have 12 as a divisor. 12:1 mentions a woman—interpreted as the people of Israel, the Church and the Virgin Mary—wearing a crown of twelve stars (representing each of the twelve tribes of Israel). Furthermore, there are 12,000 people sealed from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, making a total of 144,000 (which is the square of 12 multiplied by a thousand).

The "Twelve Days of Christmas" count the interval between Christmas and Epiphany.
Eastern Orthodoxy observes twelve Great Feasts.

Hinduism

There are twelve Jyotirlinga(Self-formed Lingas) of Lord Shiva in Hindu temples across India according to the Shaiva tradition.
The Sun god Surya has 12 names.
The Monkey god Hanuman has 12 names.
There are 12 Petals in Anahata or "heart chakra".
There are frequently said to be 12 Âdityas.

Others

The chief Norse god, Odin, has twelve sons.

In the King Arthur Legend, Arthur is said to subdue 12 rebel princes and to win 12 great battles against Saxon invaders.[16]

In Twelver Shi'a Islam, there are twelve Imams, legitimate successors of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. These twelve early leaders of Islam are—Ali, Hasan, Husayn, and nine of Husayn's descendants. Sura 12 in the Quran is sura Yusuf, narrating the story of the sons of Jacob.