Regarding 318, Vincent Forest Hopper writes on p.75 of "Medieval
Number Symbolism" (Dover): "...various of the Church Fathers
began to write figurative interpretations of the biblical texts.
They found precedent for giving importance to numbers in the
precise directions given for the dimensions of the tabernacle,
and in the testimony of the Book of Wisdom that 'God has
arranged all things in number and measure.' Early interpretation
of scriptural numbers is concerned only with the most prominent
of them, such as the 12 springs and 70 palm trees of Elim, and
the 318 servants of Abraham..." Something of the attitude of
gnosis; that is, of scriptural mysteries hidden from the layman,
is to be seen in an interpretation of Barnabas: 'Learn then, my
children, concerning all things richly, that Abraham, the first
who enjoined circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus,
practised that rite having received the mysteries of the three
letters. For [the Scripture] saith, 'And Abraham circumcised 10,
and 8, and 300