The number 900 is the numerical value of the Greek letter sampi (ϡ, Ϡ), an archaic character that fell out of use as a phonetic symbol but survived as a numeral in the Greek alphabetic system. Its name, sampi, is thought to be a contraction of san pi ('like a pi'), describing its shape. In the Greek isopsephy tradition, 900 is the highest single-letter numeral, completing the sequence from 1 to 900.

Position on the Tree of Life

On the Tree of Life, 900 corresponds to the 31st Path, which connects Malkuth (the Kingdom) to Hod (Splendor). This Path is attributed to the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), the letter of Fire, Spirit, and the divine presence. In Liber 777, this Path is also linked to the element of Fire, the Tarot card 'The Last Judgment' (or 'The Aeon' in Crowley's system), and the zodiacal sign of Leo.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Though 900 itself is not directly astrological, its association with Shin and the 31st Path ties it to the element of Fire, which governs the astrological signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. The planetary correspondence of this Path is the Sun (in its Leo aspect), reflecting the fiery, creative, and transformative energy of the number.

Historical context

The Greek numeral system, derived from the Phoenician alphabet, assigned numeric values to letters: alpha (1) through theta (9), iota (10) through koppa (90), and rho (100) through sampi (900). Sampi was used in inscriptions and manuscripts from the 6th century BCE onward, often in financial or legal documents to denote large sums. Its shape varied—resembling a pi (Π) with a crossbar or a curved form—and it was sometimes confused with the similar-looking koppa (ϙ). In the Byzantine era, sampi was replaced by the digraph τϛ (tau-stigma) for 900, but it persisted in liturgical and alchemical texts. In the Hermetic and Qabalistic traditions, 900 is seen as the culmination of the number series, representing the completion of a cycle and the threshold to the infinite (1000, represented by the letter alpha with a diacritic).

In Liber 777, the 31st Path (900) is the final Path on the Tree before the 32nd, which corresponds to Malkuth itself. This placement underscores the role of 900 as a bridge between the material world (Malkuth) and the spiritual realm (Hod), mediated by the transformative fire of Shin. The number 900 also appears in the context of the Greek alphabet's numeration, where it stands alone as the highest numeral, echoing the Qabalistic idea of the 'Great Work'—the unification of the microcosm and macrocosm.

Closing

In the table of Liber 777, the number 900 appears in the row for the Numeration of the Greek Alphabet, at the step corresponding to the 31st Path (Malkuth in the scale of the Tree). It is the sole representative of this value, linking the Greek letter sampi to the fiery, spiritual energy of Shin and the transformative power of the 31st Path.