Why are the numbers 12 and 13 so important in religion?

Answer 1

12 true disciples, Judas, the betrayer was the thirteenth.

Answer 2

I can only honestly answer in terms of Christianity/Judaism.

12 Tribles of Israel
12 Apostles
24 Elders (Revelation)

4 and 3 are important. This is a psychological thing. That even carries over to today. We are taught to write an essay with 3 proofs. Our phone numbers (In America) are 3 numbers then 4 numbers. 12 comes from 4 and 3 (4x3 = 12)

As far as 13, what is the religious significance you are thinking of with 13?

Matt

Answer 3

When I found out this answer, it explained a lot to me. The number 12 means perfect government. This is not numerology. This is just the cultural significance of the symbol. This is true from about 1500 BC to 100 AD. The culture involved is Hebrew. This is why you can have a list of 12 items like tribes or apostles and it doesn't matter if the list changes or who is on it, They are going to provide perfect government if you have 12 of them. This type of thing sounds strange to people of western culture. Other numbers and their multiples can have symbolic meaning, also.
The number 13 is an entirely different thing. It can have a large variety of meanings, Most of them unlucky or negative.
Westerners can understand this better. Its importance is context driven.

Answer 4

Not religion, this is the Bible thing;12 disciples, 12 tribes etc....
12X12 equals to all God's people, not the number, 12 is complete, all people who love the Lord
13 is not important in religion

Answer 5

12
Religion inherits the number twelve for its magical properties.
The biblical Jacob had 12 sons, who were the progenitors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
The New Testament describes twelve apostles of Jesus; when Judas Iscariot was disgraced, a meeting was held (Acts) to add Matthias to complete the number twelve once more.
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is a Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
The Book of Revelation 12:1 mentions a woman — usually interpreted as Virgin Mary — wearing a crown of twelve stars, and there are 12,000 people sealed from each of the twelve tribes of Judah (144000).
In Shi'a Islam, there are twelve Imams. These twelve early leaders of Islam are—Ali, Hasan, Husayn, and nine of Husayn's descendants.
There are 12 days of Christmas. The song Twelve Days of Christmas came from the traditional practice of extending Yuletide celebrations over the twelve days from Christmas day to the eve of Epiphany; the period of thirteen days including Epiphany is sometimes known as Christmastide. Thus Twelfth Night is another name for the twelfth day of Christmas or January 5 (the eve of Epiphany).
Eastern Orthodoxy observes 12 Great Feasts.
In Christianity, there are 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
In Antiquity there are numerous magical/religious uses of twelves.[1] Ancient Greek religion, the Twelve Olympians were the principal gods of the pantheon.
The chief Norse god, Odin, had 12 sons.
Several sets of twelve cities are identified in history as a dodecapolis, the most familiar being the Etruscan League.

13
The number of participants at the Last Supper
Counting both Judas and Matthias, there were thirteen apostles
Thirteen was once associated with the Epiphany by Christians, the child Jesus having received the Magi on his thirteenth day of life.
In Judaism, 13 signifies the age of maturity (bar mitzvah) for boys
The number of principles of Jewish faith according to Maimonides
According to the Torah, God has 13 Attributes of Mercy
In modern day Wicca, thirteen is considered the maximum size of a coven, and in some traditions is the ideal number of members, and there are also 13 goals of a witch.
In Sikhism, the number thirteen (13) is a number devoted to the remembrance of God, therefore it is also considered lucky by people who practice the Sikh faith.
The ancient Maya used the number 13 in the development of their calendrical science which served as the basis of their cosmology as well. The 13:20 ratio expresses the frequencies and cycles of Creation, now scientifically verifiable through the latest discoveries about the classical period Mayan Calendar.
The number of circles, or "nodes", that make up Metatron's Cube.
The number of Norse gods (there were 12) at a banquet that was crashed by the evil spirit Loki (making 13) who killed one of the guests with a poison arrow.
The number of steps, according to Egyptian lore, between life and death.

Answer 6

The only number to me that is important is 33, thats how old Jesus was when he died on the cross for my sins.

Answer 7

But not to Christians

Answer 8

12 is easily divisible... thirteen is a prime.