Ezra עזרא
A ready scribe in the Law of Moses, and for tradition the man who brought the square letters that an equidistant search now reads.
- Found in the Torah
- 46,156
- Chance alone: 43,499
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 602,858
- Chance alone: 617,727
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Every letter in a Torah scroll today is written in the square Assyrian script. The Talmud in Sanhedrin 21b says that this script came through Ezra, and that the Torah was given to Israel in another. Whatever the history, he is a good person for a letter-counter to know. Ezra 7:6 calls him a ready scribe in the Law of Moses. In Nehemiah 8 he stands on a wooden platform at the Water Gate, opens the scroll in the sight of all the people, and reads from early morning until midday. The name ends in א, the Aramaic form of a Hebrew name meaning help, and it stands 17 times bare, all in the two books which, in the Hebrew Bible, are one.
- As a whole word
- 17
- First, with any prefix
- Ezra 7:1
- Last
- Nehemiah 12:36
The measurement
Nearly three times the formula: 21 sequences at skips 2 to 10 against 7.7 by chance. Before making anything of it, open the two shortest. Both stand in the same promise to Abraham, in Genesis 12:7 and 15:18, across the words אמר לזרעך, said to thy seed. A phrase that the text repeats makes a repeated sequence.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 46,156 | 602,858 |
| Chance alone | 43,499 | 617,727 |
| P (≥ found) | 9.1 × 10⁻³⁷ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,274 | 398,047 |
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 4,161 against 4,175 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, backward from Genesis 12:7
וַיֵּרָ֤א יְקוָק֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לְזַ֨רְעֲךָ֔ אֶתֵּ֖ן אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֑את וַיִּ֤בֶן שָׁם֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ לַיקוָ֖ק הַנִּרְאֶ֥ה אֵלָֽיו׃
And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said: ‘Unto thy seed will I give this land’; and he builded there an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.
Shortest skip 2, backward from Genesis 15:18
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא כָּרַ֧ת יְקוָ֛ק אֶת־אַבְרָ֖ם בְּרִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֑ר לְזַרְעֲךָ֗ נָתַ֨תִּי֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את מִנְּהַ֣ר מִצְרַ֔יִם עַד־הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל נְהַר־פְּרָֽת׃
In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: ‘Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates;
Short skip 50, backward from Deuteronomy 7:19
… עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְהָאֹתֹ֤ת וְהַמֹּֽפְתִים֙ וְהַיָּ֤ד הַחֲזָקָה֙ וְהַזְּרֹ֣עַ הַנְּטוּיָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר הוֹצִֽאֲךָ֖ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֑יךָ כֵּֽן־יַעֲשֶׂ֞ה יְקוָ֤ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ לְכָל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה יָרֵ֖א מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃
the great trials which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out; so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the peoples of whom thou art afraid.
לֹ֥א תִירָ֖א מֵהֶ֑ם זָכֹ֣ר תִּזְכֹּ֗ר אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֔יךָ לְפַרְעֹ֖ה וּלְכָל־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
thou shalt not be afraid of them; thou shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt:
כִּ֤י תֹאמַר֙ בִּלְבָ֣בְךָ֔ רַבִּ֛ים הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָאֵ֖לֶּה מִמֶּ֑נִּי אֵיכָ֥ה אוּכַ֖ל לְהוֹרִישָֽׁם׃
If thou shalt say in thy heart: ‘These nations are more than I; how can I dispossess them?’
Middle skip 502, backward from Leviticus 4:28
א֚וֹ הוֹדַ֣ע אֵלָ֔יו חַטָּאת֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֑א וְהֵבִ֨יא קָרְבָּנ֜וֹ שְׂעִירַ֤ת עִזִּים֙ תְּמִימָ֣ה נְקֵבָ֔ה עַל־חַטָּאת֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽא׃
if his sin, which he hath sinned, be known to him, then he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.
… וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־הַדָּ֗ם יִשְׁפֹּךְ֙ אֶל־יְסוֹד֙ מִזְבַּ֣ח הָעֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
And he shall put of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tent of meeting, and all the remaining blood shall he pour out at the base of the altar of burnt-offering, which is at the door of the tent of meeting.
וְאֵת֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת וְאֶת־הַחֵ֨לֶב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲלֵיהֶ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַכְּסָלִ֑ים וְאֶת־הַיֹּתֶ֨רֶת֙ עַל־הַכָּבֵ֔ד עַל־הַכְּלָי֖וֹת יְסִירֶֽנָּה׃
and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the loins, and the lobe above the liver, which he shall take away by kidneys,
חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכֹ֖ל מֽוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶ֑ם כָּל־חֵ֥לֶב וְכָל־דָּ֖ם לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃
It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings, that ye shall eat neither fat nor blood.
Wide skip 5,010, backward from Exodus 40:24
וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֶת־הַמְּנֹרָה֙ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד נֹ֖כַח הַשֻּׁלְחָ֑ן עַ֛ל יֶ֥רֶךְ הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן נֶֽגְבָּה׃
And he put the candlestick in the tent of meeting, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
וַיְצַ֨ף אֹת֜וֹ זָהָ֣ב טָה֗וֹר אֶת־גַּגּ֧וֹ וְאֶת־קִירֹתָ֛יו סָבִ֖יב וְאֶת־קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וַיַּ֥עַשׂ ל֛וֹ זֵ֥ר זָהָ֖ב סָבִֽיב׃
And he overlaid it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it; and he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
וְרָא֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה כִּ֣י קָרַ֔ן ע֖וֹר פְּנֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְהֵשִׁ֨יב מֹשֶׁ֤ה אֶת־הַמַּסְוֶה֙ עַל־פָּנָ֔יו עַד־בֹּא֖וֹ לְדַבֵּ֥ר אִתּֽוֹ׃
And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face sent forth beams; and Moses put the veil back upon his face, until he went in to speak with Him.
וַיִּקַּ֣ח מִיָּדָ֗ם וַיָּ֤צַר אֹתוֹ֙ בַּחֶ֔רֶט וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֖הוּ עֵ֣גֶל מַסֵּכָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֵ֤לֶּה אֱ־לֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: ‘This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, backward from Isaiah 1:1
חֲזוֹן֙ יְשַֽׁעְיָ֣הוּ בֶן־אָמ֔וֹץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָזָ֔ה עַל־יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם בִּימֵ֨י עֻזִּיָּ֧הוּ יוֹתָ֛ם אָחָ֥ז יְחִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ מַלְכֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
The Vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Middle skip 500, forward from Joshua 19:12
וְשָׁ֣ב מִשָּׂרִ֗יד קֵ֚דְמָה מִזְרַ֣ח הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ עַל־גְּב֥וּל כִּסְלֹ֖ת תָּבֹ֑ר וְיָצָ֥א אֶל־הַדָּֽבְרַ֖ת וְעָלָ֥ה יָפִֽיעַ׃
And it turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chisloth-tabor; and it went out to Dobrath, and went up to Japhia.
וְשָׁ֨ב מִזְרַ֣ח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ֮ בֵּ֣ית דָּגֹן֒ וּפָגַ֣ע בִּ֠זְבֻלוּן וּבְגֵ֨י יִפְתַּח־אֵ֥ל צָפ֛וֹנָה בֵּ֥ית הָעֵ֖מֶק וּנְעִיאֵ֑ל וְיָצָ֥א אֶל־כָּב֖וּל מִשְּׂמֹֽאל׃
And it turned toward the sunrising to Beth-dagon, and reached to Zebulun and to the valley of Iphtahel northward at Beth-emek and Neiel; and it went out to Cabul on the left hand,
וְיִרְאוֹן֙ וּמִגְדַּל־אֵ֔ל חֳרֵ֥ם וּבֵית־עֲנָ֖ת וּבֵ֣ית שָׁ֑מֶשׁ עָרִ֥ים תְּשַֽׁע־עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃
and Iron, and Migdal-el, and Horem, and Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh; nineteen cities with their villages.
… הַכֹּהֵ֣ן וִיהוֹשֻׁ֪עַ בִּן־נ֟וּן וְרָאשֵׁ֣י הָֽאָב֣וֹת לְמַטּוֹת֩ בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל בְּגוֹרָ֤ל בְּשִׁלֹה֙ …
These are the inheritances, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the tribes of the children of Israel, distributed for inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tent of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the land.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 21 | 7.7 |
| 11 to 100 | 81 | 77.0 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 741 | 766 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 3,318 | 3,324 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 41,995 | 39,324 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 843. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 843 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 61/100 | 852 | 780 to 919 |
| Words within each verse | 38/100 | 831 | 773 to 903 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 9,970 | 11,140 |
| Exodus | 11,631 | 9,065 |
| Leviticus | 7,695 | 6,392 |
| Numbers | 10,051 | 9,067 |
| Deuteronomy | 6,809 | 7,835 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 146,414 | 157,316 |
| Prophets | 273,180 | 285,778 |
| Writings | 183,264 | 174,633 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set עזרא beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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