Babylon בבל
Jeremiah writes Babylon in cipher, twice, swapping letters from the two ends of the alef-bet. Genesis gives the name a Hebrew pun.
- Found in the Torah
- 9,375,595
- Chance alone: 9,451,381
- Skips 2 to 152,424
- Found in the Tanakh
- 156,123,599
- Chance alone: 156,869,060
- Skips 2 to 598,520
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.
Search for ways the Tanakh plays with letters, and Jeremiah 25:26 is one of the first places to stop. The king of ששך shall drink after them, it says, and Jeremiah 51:41 repeats the name: how is Sheshach taken! There never was a place of that name. It is בבל with its letters swapped for the ones at the same distance from the other end of the alef-bet, the method called atbash. ב becomes ש and ל becomes כ. This is a real letter cipher in the plain text, and a good thing to know before you read about any other kind. Genesis 11:9 gets to the name by a different road: it explains it by the verb בלל, to confuse, as a Hebrew pun on a foreign city's name.
- As a whole word
- 224
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 10:10
The measurement
Two of the three letters are the same, which matters more than you might think: repeated letters are how a text's real patterns show up at a skip. Word shuffles keep those patterns and match the real 126,585 easily. Letter shuffles destroy them and never get there.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 9,375,595 | 156,123,599 |
| Chance alone | 9,451,381 | 156,869,060 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 152,380 | 598,459 |
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 618,165 against 609,784 by chance. How these figures are made.
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 30:1
וַתֵּ֣רֶא רָחֵ֗ל כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָֽלְדָה֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַתְּקַנֵּ֥א רָחֵ֖ל בַּאֲחֹתָ֑הּ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶֽל־יַעֲקֹב֙ הָֽבָה־לִּ֣י בָנִ֔ים וְאִם־אַ֖יִן מֵתָ֥ה אָנֹֽכִי׃
And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and she said unto Jacob: ‘Give me children, or else I die.’
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 30:32
אֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר בְּכָל־צֹֽאנְךָ֜ הַיּ֗וֹם הָסֵ֨ר מִשָּׁ֜ם כָּל־שֶׂ֣ה נָקֹ֣ד וְטָל֗וּא וְכָל־שֶׂה־חוּם֙ בַּכְּשָׂבִ֔ים וְטָל֥וּא וְנָקֹ֖ד בָּעִזִּ֑ים וְהָיָ֖ה שְׂכָרִֽי׃
I will pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence every speckled and spotted one, and every dark one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and of such shall be my hire.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 2:15
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לַהֲרֹ֣ג אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיִּבְרַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־מִדְיָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב עַֽל־הַבְּאֵֽר׃
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.
וּלְכֹהֵ֥ן מִדְיָ֖ן שֶׁ֣בַע בָּנ֑וֹת וַתָּבֹ֣אנָה וַתִּדְלֶ֗נָה וַתְּמַלֶּ֨אנָה֙ אֶת־הָ֣רְהָטִ֔ים לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶֽן׃
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
Middle skip 500, forward from Genesis 9:6
שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱ־לֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם׃
Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man.
וְהָיְתָ֥ה הַקֶּ֖שֶׁת בֶּֽעָנָ֑ן וּרְאִיתִ֗יהָ לִזְכֹּר֙ בְּרִ֣ית עוֹלָ֔ם בֵּ֣ין אֱ־לֹהִ֔ים וּבֵין֙ כָּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה בְּכָל־בָּשָׂ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.’
וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ כָּל־יְמֵי־נֹ֔חַ תְּשַׁ֤ע מֵאוֹת֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וַחֲמִשִּׁ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וַיָּמֹֽת׃
And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Genesis 8:17
כָּל־הַחַיָּ֨ה אֲשֶֽׁר־אִתְּךָ֜ מִכָּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר בָּע֧וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ הוצאהַיְצֵ֣א אִתָּ֑ךְ וְשָֽׁרְצ֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָר֥וּ וְרָב֖וּ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both fowl, and cattle, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may swarm in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.’
וּלְאַבְרָ֥ם הֵיטִ֖יב בַּעֲבוּרָ֑הּ וַֽיְהִי־ל֤וֹ צֹאן־וּבָקָר֙ וַחֲמֹרִ֔ים וַעֲבָדִים֙ וּשְׁפָחֹ֔ת וַאֲתֹנֹ֖ת וּגְמַלִּֽים׃
And he dealt well with Abram for her sake; and he had sheep, and oxen, and he-asses, and men-servants, and maid-servants, and she-asses, and camels.
וַיִּפֹּ֧ל אַבְרָהָ֛ם עַל־פָּנָ֖יו וַיִּצְחָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר בְּלִבּ֗וֹ הַלְּבֶ֤ן מֵאָֽה־שָׁנָה֙ יִוָּלֵ֔ד וְאִ֨ם־שָׂרָ֔ה הֲבַת־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תֵּלֵֽד׃
Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart: ‘Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?’
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 24:30
וַיִּקְבְּר֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ בִּגְב֣וּל נַחֲלָת֔וֹ בְּתִמְנַת־סֶ֖רַח אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּהַר־אֶפְרָ֑יִם מִצְּפ֖וֹן לְהַר־גָּֽעַשׁ׃
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 4:7
וּמָשַׁכְתִּ֨י אֵלֶ֜יךָ אֶל־נַ֣חַל קִישׁ֗וֹן אֶת־סִֽיסְרָא֙ שַׂר־צְבָ֣א יָבִ֔ין וְאֶת־רִכְבּ֖וֹ וְאֶת־הֲמוֹנ֑וֹ וּנְתַתִּ֖יהוּ בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃
And I will draw unto thee to the brook Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thy hand.
וַיָּ֣הָם יְ֠קוָק אֶת־סִֽיסְרָ֨א וְאֶת־כָּל־הָרֶ֧כֶב וְאֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֛ה לְפִי־חֶ֖רֶב לִפְנֵ֣י בָרָ֑ק וַיֵּ֧רֶד סִֽיסְרָ֛א מֵעַ֥ל הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֖ה וַיָּ֥נָס בְּרַגְלָֽיו׃
And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; and Sisera alighted from his chariot, and fled away on his feet.
… וַתֵּצֵ֤א יָעֵל֙ לִקְרָאת֔וֹ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ לֵ֣ךְ וְאַרְאֶ֔ךָּ אֶת־הָאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֣ה …
And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him: ‘Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest.’ And he came unto her; and, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the tent-pin was in his temples.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 1,106 | 1,116 |
| 11 to 100 | 12,119 | 11,157 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 113,360 | 111,211 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 491,580 | 486,299 |
| 5,001 to 152,424 | 8,757,430 | 8,841,597 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 126,585. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 126,585 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 0/100 | 123,457 | 122,486 to 124,303 |
| Words within each verse | 60/100 | 126,651 | 125,898 to 127,561 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 2,476,657 | 2,420,403 |
| Exodus | 1,759,269 | 1,969,676 |
| Leviticus | 1,368,913 | 1,388,796 |
| Numbers | 2,040,622 | 1,970,110 |
| Deuteronomy | 1,730,134 | 1,702,396 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 38,844,330 | 39,949,754 |
| Prophets | 72,153,981 | 72,572,000 |
| Writings | 45,125,288 | 44,347,306 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set בבל 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.