Let (p/q, n) be the orbifold with cyclic isotropy of order n and with singular set the 2-bridge knot or link p/q where p and q are relatively prime numbers, q is odd, q is less than p, and q is not congruent to ±1 mod p (i.e. p/q is any non toroidal 2-bridge knot or link). We show that the orbifold fundamental group π1(p/q, n) is universal for n any multiple of 12. This means that if Γ is any such group, it can be thought of as a discrete group of hyperbolic isometries of hyperbolic 3-space ℍ3, and then, given any closed, oriented 3-manifold M, there exists a subgroup of finite index G of Γ such that M is homeomorphic to G\ℍ3. Since we have shown elsewhere that the group π1(5/3, 12) is an arithmetic group, it follows that there exists an orbifold, namely (5/3, 12), whose singular set is a knot, the figure eight, and whose fundamental group is both arithmetic and universal.
