Aaron אהרן
The Tanakh never once writes his name with a second ו, the way modern Hebrew does, and the Torah dates his death to the day.
- Found in the Torah
- 689,762
- Chance alone: 697,154
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 8,568,071
- Chance alone: 8,510,455
- Skips 2 to 399,013
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.
Few spellings in the Tanakh are as steady as this one. It stands 263 times bare, always אהרן, and the fuller אהרון that modern parents use on a birth certificate does not occur at all. That is worth stopping on, because a reader who types the modern form is searching for a word the text lacks, and we show that form below for that reason. The Torah also gives Aaron something it gives to nobody else. Numbers 33:38 records his death with the full date: the fortieth year of the Exodus, the fifth month, the first day of the month. Moses gets no such date. Neither do the patriarchs. It is the one yahrzeit the Torah writes down.
- As a whole word
- 263
- First, with any prefix
- Exodus 4:14
The measurement
The modern spelling, which the Tanakh never writes, still has 50,084 sequences in the Torah, close to the 52,368.4 that chance gives. A word need not exist in a text for its letters to line up there.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 689,762 | 8,568,071 |
| Chance alone | 697,154 | 8,510,455 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 6.3 × 10⁻⁸⁷ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,563 | 398,922 |
Counted forward and backward on the written text, with final letters treated as ordinary ones. At the laboratory's opening setting, skips 2 to 5,000, the Torah gives 65,859 against 66,906 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| אהרן263 as a word | 689,762 chance 697,154 | 8,568,071 chance 8,510,455 |
| אהרון0 as a word | 50,084 chance 52,368 | 694,092 chance 691,075 |
The sequences, letter by letter
Each letter is shown in the verse it happens to stand in, nothing more. Tap one to read it in the Tanakh, with the rest of the sequence marked.
In the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 21:17
… הַנַּעַר֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱ־לֹהִ֤ים אֶל־הָגָר֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ מַה־לָּ֣ךְ הָגָ֑ר …
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her: ‘What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 32:11
קָטֹ֜נְתִּי מִכֹּ֤ל הַחֲסָדִים֙ וּמִכָּל־הָ֣אֱמֶ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתָ אֶת־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֣י בְמַקְלִ֗י עָבַ֨רְתִּי֙ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֣ן הַזֶּ֔ה וְעַתָּ֥ה הָיִ֖יתִי לִשְׁנֵ֥י מַחֲנֽוֹת׃
I am not worthy of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shown unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two camps.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 14:17
וַאֲנִ֗י הִנְנִ֤י מְחַזֵּק֙ אֶת־לֵ֣ב מִצְרַ֔יִם וְיָבֹ֖אוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וְאִכָּבְדָ֤ה בְּפַרְעֹה֙ וּבְכָל־חֵיל֔וֹ בְּרִכְבּ֖וֹ וּבְפָרָשָֽׁיו׃
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them; and I will get Me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם כִּי־אֲנִ֣י יְקוָ֑ק בְּהִכָּבְדִ֣י בְּפַרְעֹ֔ה בְּרִכְבּ֖וֹ וּבְפָרָשָֽׁיו׃
And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten Me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.’
וַיִּסַּ֞ע מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱ־לֹהִ֗ים הַהֹלֵךְ֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַחֲנֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּסַּ֞ע עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֖ד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud removed from before them, and stood behind them;
וַיָּבֹ֞א בֵּ֣ין מַחֲנֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֗יִם וּבֵין֙ מַחֲנֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיְהִ֤י הֶֽעָנָן֙ וְהַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וַיָּ֖אֶר אֶת־הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְלֹא־קָרַ֥ב זֶ֛ה אֶל־זֶ֖ה כָּל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃
and it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness here, yet gave it light by night there; and the one came not near the other all the night.
Middle skip 500, forward from Numbers 8:3
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ אַהֲרֹ֔ן אֶל־מוּל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הַמְּנוֹרָ֔ה הֶעֱלָ֖ה נֵרֹתֶ֑יהָ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְקוָ֖ק אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
And Aaron did so: he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.
וְהַֽעֲמַדְתָּ֙ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּ֔ם לִפְנֵ֥י אַהֲרֹ֖ן וְלִפְנֵ֣י בָנָ֑יו וְהֵנַפְתָּ֥ אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לַֽיקוָֽק׃
And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a wave-offering unto the LORD.
וַיִּֽתְחַטְּא֣וּ הַלְוִיִּ֗ם וַֽיְכַבְּסוּ֙ בִּגְדֵיהֶ֔ם וַיָּ֨נֶף אַהֲרֹ֥ן אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק וַיְכַפֵּ֧ר עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם אַהֲרֹ֖ן לְטַהֲרָֽם׃
And the Levites purified themselves, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them for a sacred gift before the LORD; and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them.
… יְקוָק֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֵּ֥ן עָשׂ֖וּ בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And they kept the passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at dusk, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Leviticus 9:8
וַיִּקְרַ֥ב אַהֲרֹ֖ן אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וַיִּשְׁחַ֛ט אֶת־עֵ֥גֶל הַחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ׃
So Aaron drew near unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin-offering, which was for himself.
וְרָאָ֣הוּ הַכֹּהֵן֮ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֒ וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַנֶּ֨גַע֙ עָמַ֣ד בְּעֵינָ֔יו לֹֽא־פָשָׂ֥ה הַנֶּ֖גַע בָּע֑וֹר וְהִסְגִּיר֧וֹ הַכֹּהֵ֛ן שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים שֵׁנִֽית׃
And the priest shall look on him the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague stay in its appearance, and the plague be not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven days more.
וְרָאָ֣ה אֶת־הַנֶּ֗גַע וְהִנֵּ֤ה הַנֶּ֨גַע֙ בְּקִירֹ֣ת הַבַּ֔יִת שְׁקַֽעֲרוּרֹת֙ יְרַקְרַקֹּ֔ת א֖וֹ אֲדַמְדַּמֹּ֑ת וּמַרְאֵיהֶ֥ן שָׁפָ֖ל מִן־הַקִּֽיר׃
And he shall look on the plague, and, behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, and the appearance thereof be lower than the wall;
וְזָרַ֨ק הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֶת־הַדָּם֙ עַל־מִזְבַּ֣ח יְקוָ֔ק פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד וְהִקְטִ֣יר הַחֵ֔לֶב לְרֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיקוָֽק׃
And the priest shall dash the blood against the altar of the LORD at the door of the tent of meeting, and make the fat smoke for a sweet savour unto the LORD.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 1:2
… מֵ֑ת וְעַתָּה֩ ק֨וּם עֲבֹ֜ר אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֣ן הַזֶּ֗ה אַתָּה֙ וְכָל־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה …
’Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 1:27
… ד֜וֹר וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֗יהָ וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֤י יִבְלְעָם֙ וְאֶת־בְּנֹתֶ֔יהָ וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֥י מְגִדּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֶ֑יהָ וַיּ֨וֹאֶל֙ …
And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites were resolved to dwell in that land.
וּגְבוּל֙ הָאֱמֹרִ֔י מִֽמַּעֲלֵ֖ה עַקְרַבִּ֑ים מֵהַסֶּ֖לַע וָמָֽעְלָה׃
And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
וַיָּ֛מָת יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן עֶ֣בֶד יְקוָ֑ק בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
… אֶל־שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙ לֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ כִּ֣י זָנ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱ־לֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ …
And yet they hearkened not unto their judges, for they went astray after other gods, and worshipped them; they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not so.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 156 | 123 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,236 | 1,234 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 12,274 | 12,283 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 52,193 | 53,266 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 623,903 | 630,248 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 13,666. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 13,666 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 42/100 | 13,651 | 13,348 to 13,853 |
| Words within each verse | 8/100 | 13,486 | 13,258 to 13,782 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 179,218 | 178,534 |
| Exodus | 140,624 | 145,288 |
| Leviticus | 109,326 | 102,441 |
| Numbers | 136,812 | 145,320 |
| Deuteronomy | 123,782 | 125,572 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 2,578,618 | 2,167,353 |
| Prophets | 4,143,551 | 3,937,174 |
| Writings | 1,845,902 | 2,405,929 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set אהרן beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.