Why might someone fear specific numbers?

Why might someone fear specific numbers?

Sometimes, being afraid of a specific number is linked to a religious belief or superstition. For example, people may fear the numbers:

• Four: The number four is considered an unlucky number in Japan, China and Vietnam. It's a homophone (words that sound the same but have different meanings) for “death.” In some Asian countries, the number four is missing in elevators, hotel room numbers and even product serial numbers.
• 13: A superstition about the number 13 (triskaidekaphobia) can be linked to Christianity or other cultures. For example, in the Christian tradition, Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. The Norse god of mischief, Loki, is the 13th pantheon god. People may specifically fear Friday the 13th as an unlucky day (paraskevidekatriaphobia).
• 666: Fear of 666 (hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia) is also widespread in Western cultures. The book of Revelation in the Bible lists 666 as the “number of the beast.” Many horror or doomsday films incorporate the number into plotlines as a mark of evil or the end of the world.