Bethlehem בית לחם
The house of bread, where the Book of Ruth opens with a famine. Rachel is buried on the road there and David is born in it.
- Found in the Torah
- 841
- Chance alone: 834
- Skips 2 to 60,969
- Found in the Tanakh
- 13,207
- Chance alone: 13,346
- Skips 2 to 239,408
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בית לחם means the house of bread, and the Book of Ruth opens by telling us there was a famine, and that a man went out from it to look for food. The story depends on that small irony and never mentions it. The town has a surprisingly full history for a village. Rachel dies on the way to it, in Genesis 35:19. Ruth comes to it at the barley harvest. Samuel is sent there in 1 Samuel 16:1 to find a king among Jesse's sons, and David's men break through the Philistine lines to fetch him water from its well in 2 Samuel 23:15. It is two words in the Tanakh, always, and we search it as six letters with no break, because a sequence has none.
The measurement
Six letters run together give 841 sequences in the Torah against 834.1 by chance, and the shuffled Torahs put the real figure near their middle. There is no story here at all, and the page says so.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 841 | 13,207 |
| Chance alone | 834 | 13,346 |
| P (≥ found) | 0.41 | 0.89 |
| Shortest skip | 33 | 3 |
| Longest skip | 59,006 | 236,424 |
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 118 against 131 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 33, forward from Numbers 26:54
לָרַ֗ב תַּרְבֶּה֙ נַחֲלָת֔וֹ וְלַמְעַ֕ט תַּמְעִ֖יט נַחֲלָת֑וֹ אִ֚ישׁ לְפִ֣י פְקֻדָ֔יו יֻתַּ֖ן נַחֲלָתֽוֹ׃
To the more thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance; to each one according to those that were numbered of it shall its inheritance be given.
אַךְ־בְּגוֹרָ֕ל יֵחָלֵ֖ק אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ לִשְׁמ֥וֹת מַטּוֹת־אֲבֹתָ֖ם יִנְחָֽלוּ׃
Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.
עַל־פִּי֙ הַגּוֹרָ֔ל תֵּחָלֵ֖ק נַחֲלָת֑וֹ בֵּ֥ין רַ֖ב לִמְעָֽט׃
According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.’
וְאֵ֨לֶּה פְקוּדֵ֣י הַלֵּוִי֮ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם֒ לְגֵרְשׁ֗וֹן מִשְׁפַּ֨חַת֙ הַגֵּ֣רְשֻׁנִּ֔י לִקְהָ֕ת מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַקְּהָתִ֑י לִמְרָרִ֕י מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַמְּרָרִֽי׃
And these are they that were numbered of the Levites after their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.
Short skip 55, backward from Deuteronomy 15:6
… גּוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֗ים וְאַתָּה֙ לֹ֣א תַעֲבֹ֔ט וּמָֽשַׁלְתָּ֙ בְּגוֹיִ֣ם רַבִּ֔ים וּבְךָ֖ …
For the LORD thy God will bless thee, as He promised thee; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over thee.
רַ֚ק אִם־שָׁמ֣וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֔ע בְּק֖וֹל יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֑יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֤ר לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַמִּצְוָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃
if only thou diligently hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command thee this day.
אֶ֕פֶס כִּ֛י לֹ֥א יִֽהְיֶה־בְּךָ֖ אֶבְי֑וֹן כִּֽי־בָרֵ֤ךְ יְבָֽרֶכְךָ֙ יְקוָ֔ק בָּאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹֽתֵן־לְךָ֥ נַחֲלָ֖ה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
Howbeit there shall be no needy among you—for the LORD will surely bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it—
וְזֶה֮ דְּבַ֣ר הַשְּׁמִטָּה֒ שָׁמ֗וֹט כָּל־בַּ֨עַל֙ מַשֵּׁ֣ה יָד֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַשֶּׁ֖ה בְּרֵעֵ֑הוּ לֹֽא־יִגֹּ֤שׂ אֶת־רֵעֵ֨הוּ֙ וְאֶת־אָחִ֔יו כִּֽי־קָרָ֥א שְׁמִטָּ֖ה לַֽיקוָֽק׃
And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he hath lent unto his neighbour; he shall not exact it of his neighbour and his brother; because the LORD’S release hath been proclaimed.
מִקֵּ֥ץ שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֖ים תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה שְׁמִטָּֽה׃
At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.
Middle skip 565, forward from Leviticus 25:7
וְלִ֨בְהֶמְתְּךָ֔ וְלַֽחַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ תִּהְיֶ֥ה כָל־תְּבוּאָתָ֖הּ לֶאֱכֹֽל׃
and for thy cattle, and for the beasts that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be for food.
וְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱ־לֹהֶ֑יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְקֹוָ֖ק אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
And ye shall not wrong one another; but thou shalt fear thy God; for I am the LORD your God.
וְאִ֗ישׁ כִּֽי־יִמְכֹּ֤ר בֵּית־מוֹשַׁב֙ עִ֣יר חוֹמָ֔ה וְהָיְתָה֙ גְּאֻלָּת֔וֹ עַד־תֹּ֖ם שְׁנַ֣ת מִמְכָּר֑וֹ יָמִ֖ים תִּהְיֶ֥ה גְאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃
And if a man sell a dwelling-house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; for a full year shall he have the right of redemption.
וְיָצָא֙ מֵֽעִמָּ֔ךְ ה֖וּא וּבָנָ֣יו עִמּ֑וֹ וְשָׁב֙ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֔וֹ וְאֶל־אֲחֻזַּ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖יו יָשֽׁוּב׃
Then shall he go out from thee, he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
וְאִם־מְעַ֞ט נִשְׁאַ֧ר בַּשָּׁנִ֛ים עַד־שְׁנַ֥ת הַיֹּבֵ֖ל וְחִשַּׁב־ל֑וֹ כְּפִ֣י שָׁנָ֔יו יָשִׁ֖יב אֶת־גְּאֻלָּתֽוֹ׃
And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubilee, then he shall reckon with him; according unto his years shall he give back the price of his redemption.
וּפָנִ֣יתִי אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהִפְרֵיתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהִרְבֵּיתִ֖י אֶתְכֶ֑ם וַהֲקִימֹתִ֥י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י אִתְּכֶֽם׃
And I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you; and will establish My covenant with you.
Wide skip 5,018, backward from Genesis 44:16
… וּמַה־נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק הָאֱ־לֹהִ֗ים מָצָא֙ אֶת־עֲוֺ֣ן עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ הִנֶּנּ֤וּ עֲבָדִים֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י גַּם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ …
And Judah said: ‘What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord’s bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.’
וַתְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה שֶׁ֣בַע שְׁנֵ֤י הָרָעָב֙ לָב֔וֹא כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֤י רָעָב֙ בְּכָל־הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת וּבְכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם הָ֥יָה לָֽחֶם׃
And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
… כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶשׁ־ל֔וֹ וַיְבָ֧רֶךְ יְקוָ֛ק אֶת־בֵּ֥ית הַמִּצְרִ֖י בִּגְלַ֣ל יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֞י …
And it came to pass from the time that he appointed him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had, in the house and in the field.
וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ בְּנֵ֣י רְעוּאֵ֔ל נַ֥חַת וָזֶ֖רַח שַׁמָּ֣ה וּמִזָּ֑ה אֵ֣לֶּ֣ה הָי֔וּ בְּנֵ֥י בָשְׂמַ֖ת אֵ֥שֶׁת עֵשָֽׂו׃
And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath Esau’s wife.
וַיִּקָּחֵ֔ם וַיַּֽעֲבִרֵ֖ם אֶת־הַנָּ֑חַל וַֽיַּעֲבֵ֖ר אֶת־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ׃
And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֔יו אַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתָּ אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲבַדְתִּ֑יךָ וְאֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־הָיָ֥ה מִקְנְךָ֖ אִתִּֽי׃
And he said unto him: ‘Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle have fared with me.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 3, backward from Ezekiel 40:5
וְהִנֵּ֥ה חוֹמָ֛ה מִח֥וּץ לַבַּ֖יִת סָבִ֣יב סָבִ֑יב וּבְיַ֨ד הָאִ֜ישׁ קְנֵ֣ה הַמִּדָּ֗ה …
And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed of six cubits long, of a cubit and a hand-breadth each; so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed, and the height, one reed.
Middle skip 501, backward from 2 Chronicles 35:13
וַֽיְבַשְּׁל֥וּ הַפֶּ֛סַח בָּאֵ֖שׁ כַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט וְהַקֳּדָשִׁ֣ים בִּשְּׁל֗וּ בַּסִּיר֤וֹת וּבַדְּוָדִים֙ וּבַצֵּ֣לָח֔וֹת וַיָּרִ֖יצוּ לְכָל־בְּנֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃
And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance; and the holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and carried them quickly to all the children of the people.
וְעִמְד֣וּ בַקֹּ֗דֶשׁ לִפְלֻגּוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית הָֽאָב֔וֹת לַאֲחֵיכֶ֖ם בְּנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַחֲלֻקַּ֥ת בֵּֽית־אָ֖ב לַלְוִיִּֽם׃
And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the fathers’ houses of your brethren the children of the people, and [let there be for each] a portion of a father’s house of the Levites.
… בְּכָל־לְבָב֖וֹ וּבְכָל־נַפְשׁ֑וֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית הַכְּתוּבִ֖ים עַל־הַסֵּ֥פֶר הַזֶּֽה׃
And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.
וְאֶל־מֶ֣לֶךְ יְהוּדָ֗ה הַשֹּׁלֵ֤חַ אֶתְכֶם֙ לִדְר֣וֹשׁ בַּֽיקוָ֔ק כֹּ֥ה תֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלָ֑יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְקוָק֙ אֱ־לֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁמָֽעְתָּ׃
But unto the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him: Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: As touching the words which thou hast heard,
וַיְצַ֣ו הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ אֶת־חִלְקִיָּ֡הוּ וְאֶת־אֲחִיקָ֣ם בֶּן־שָׁ֠פָן וְאֶת־עַבְדּ֨וֹן בֶּן־מִיכָ֜ה וְאֵ֣ת שָׁפָ֣ן הַסּוֹפֵ֗ר וְאֵ֛ת עֲשָׂיָ֥ה עֶֽבֶד־הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לֵאמֹֽר׃
And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant, saying:
וְהָאֲנָשִׁים֩ עֹשִׂ֨ים בֶּאֱמוּנָ֜ה בַּמְּלָאכָ֗ה וַעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם מֻ֠פְקָדִים יַ֣חַת …
And the men did the work faithfully; and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to preside over it; and other of the Levites, all that had skill with instruments of music.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 0 | 0.25 |
| 11 to 100 | 2 | 2.5 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 24 | 24.4 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 92 | 104 |
| 5,001 to 60,969 | 723 | 703 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 26. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 26 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 60/100 | 27 | 15 to 41 |
| Words within each verse | 57/100 | 26 | 16 to 39 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 242 | 214 |
| Exodus | 176 | 174 |
| Leviticus | 129 | 123 |
| Numbers | 158 | 174 |
| Deuteronomy | 136 | 150 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 3,054 | 3,399 |
| Prophets | 6,145 | 6,174 |
| Writings | 4,008 | 3,773 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set בית לחם beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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