Hanukkah חנוכה
The festival is later than every book of the Tanakh that could have named it. The word is older, and means a dedication.
- Found in the Torah
- 8,635
- Chance alone: 9,187
- Skips 2 to 76,212
- Found in the Tanakh
- 140,848
- Chance alone: 139,009
- Skips 2 to 299,260
Create a free accountFree, and this search opens as soon as you are in.
No book of the Tanakh has Hanukkah. The events of the second century BCE lie past the end of the 24 books, and the histories of the Maccabees are not among them. What the Tanakh has is the word. A חנכה is a dedication: the altar's, in Numbers 7:10; the house's, in the heading of Psalm 30; the walls of Jerusalem, in Nehemiah 12:27. That last verse is the only bare case. The verb is a plain one too. A man who has built a new house and has not dedicated it may go home from war, says Deuteronomy 20:5. The word's modern spelling has a ו that the Tanakh never gives it, so we lead with what people type and put the Tanakh's form beside it.
The measurement
The festival is younger than the Torah, and the Torah holds 8,635 sequences of its modern spelling anyway. That is 6 percent under chance. Any word you type is in there somewhere, because a sequence needs no author.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 8,635 | 140,848 |
| Chance alone | 9,187 | 139,009 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 4.3 × 10⁻⁷ |
| Shortest skip | 3 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 75,868 | 298,402 |
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 1,157 against 1,166 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| חנוכה0 as a word | 8,635 chance 9,187 | 140,848 chance 139,009 |
| חנכהone whole word | 116,102 chance 122,296 | 1,717,959 chance 1,711,867 |
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 3, forward from Deuteronomy 5:33
בְּכָל־הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֜ה יְקוָ֧ק אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶ֛ם אֶתְכֶ֖ם תֵּלֵ֑כוּ לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיוּן֙ וְט֣וֹב לָכֶ֔ם וְהַאֲרַכְתֶּ֣ם יָמִ֔ים בָּאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּֽירָשֽׁוּן׃
Ye shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
Short skip 54, backward from Numbers 32:9
וַֽיַּעֲל֞וּ עַד־נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכּ֗וֹל וַיִּרְאוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיָּנִ֕יאוּ אֶת־לֵ֖ב בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְבִלְתִּי־בֹא֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם יְקוָֽק׃
For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they turned away the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.
וְלָ֣מָּה תנואוןתְנִיא֔וּן אֶת־לֵ֖ב בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מֵֽעֲבֹר֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן לָהֶ֖ם יְקוָֽק׃
And wherefore will ye turn away the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִבְנֵי־גָ֖ד וְלִבְנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֑ן הַאַֽחֵיכֶ֗ם יָבֹ֨אוּ֙ לַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאַתֶּ֖ם תֵּ֥שְׁבוּ פֹֽה׃
And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: ‘Shall your brethren go to the war, and shall ye sit here?
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אִם־מָצָ֤אנוּ חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ יֻתַּ֞ן אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לַעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ לַאֲחֻזָּ֑ה אַל־תַּעֲבִרֵ֖נוּ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃
And they said: ‘If we have found favour in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan.’
הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִכָּ֤ה יְקוָק֙ לִפְנֵי֙ עֲדַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶ֥רֶץ מִקְנֶ֖ה הִ֑וא וְלַֽעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ מִקְנֶֽה׃
the land which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle.’
Middle skip 506, forward from Genesis 41:3
וְהִנֵּ֞ה שֶׁ֧בַע פָּר֣וֹת אֲחֵר֗וֹת עֹל֤וֹת אַחֲרֵיהֶן֙ מִן־הַיְאֹ֔ר רָע֥וֹת מַרְאֶ֖ה וְדַקּ֣וֹת בָּשָׂ֑ר וַֽתַּעֲמֹ֛דְנָה אֵ֥צֶל הַפָּר֖וֹת עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר׃
And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
וְשָׁ֨ם אִתָּ֜נוּ נַ֣עַר עִבְרִ֗י עֶ֚בֶד לְשַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֔ים וַנְּ֨סַפֶּר־ל֔וֹ וַיִּפְתָּר־לָ֖נוּ אֶת־חֲלֹמֹתֵ֑ינוּ אִ֥ישׁ כַּחֲלֹמ֖וֹ פָּתָֽר׃
And there was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
וָאֵ֖רֶא בַּחֲלֹמִ֑י וְהִנֵּ֣ה שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֗ים עֹלֹ֛ת בְּקָנֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד מְלֵאֹ֥ת וְטֹבֽוֹת׃
And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good.
וְעַ֨ל הִשָּׁנ֧וֹת הַחֲל֛וֹם אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה פַּעֲמָ֑יִם כִּֽי־נָכ֤וֹן הַדָּבָר֙ מֵעִ֣ם הָאֱ־לֹהִ֔ים וּמְמַהֵ֥ר הָאֱ־לֹהִ֖ים לַעֲשֹׂתֽוֹ׃
And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
וַיָּ֨סַר פַּרְעֹ֤ה אֶת־טַבַּעְתּוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל יָד֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֖הּ עַל־יַ֣ד יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ בִּגְדֵי־שֵׁ֔שׁ וַיָּ֛שֶׂם רְבִ֥ד הַזָּהָ֖ב עַל־צַוָּארֽוֹ׃
And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.
Wide skip 5,013, forward from Leviticus 5:17
וְאִם־נֶ֨פֶשׁ֙ כִּ֣י תֶֽחֱטָ֔א וְעָֽשְׂתָ֗ה אַחַת֙ מִכָּל־מִצְוֺ֣ת יְקוָ֔ק אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֣א תֵעָשֶׂ֑ינָה וְלֹֽא־יָדַ֥ע וְאָשֵׁ֖ם וְנָשָׂ֥א עֲוֺנֽוֹ׃
And if any one sin, and do any of the things which the LORD hath commanded not to be done, though he know it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.
וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶת־הַכֹּ֔ל עַ֚ל כַּפֵּ֣י אַהֲרֹ֔ן וְעַ֖ל כַּפֵּ֣י בָנָ֑יו וַיָּ֧נֶף אֹתָ֛ם תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְקוָֽק׃
And he put the whole upon the hands of Aaron, and upon the hands of his sons, and waved them for a wave-offering before the LORD.
אַל־תְּשַׁקְּצוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הַשֹּׁרֵ֑ץ וְלֹ֤א תִֽטַּמְּאוּ֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְנִטְמֵתֶ֖ם בָּֽם׃
Ye shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming thing that swarmeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.
וְעָשָׂ֤ה הַכֹּהֵן֙ אֶת־הַ֣חַטָּ֔את וְכִפֶּ֕ר עַל־הַמִּטַּהֵ֖ר מִטֻּמְאָת֑וֹ וְאַחַ֖ר יִשְׁחַ֥ט אֶת־הָעֹלָֽה׃
And the priest shall offer the sin-offering, and make atonement for him that is to be cleansed because of his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt-offering.
וּבָ֤א אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וּפָשַׁט֙ אֶת־בִּגְדֵ֣י הַבָּ֔ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לָבַ֖שׁ בְּבֹא֣וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וְהִנִּיחָ֖ם שָֽׁם׃
And Aaron shall come into the tent of meeting, and shall put off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the holy place, and shall leave them there.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, backward from Zechariah 5:11
Middle skip 501, backward from Judges 11:7
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִפְתָּח֙ לְזִקְנֵ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד הֲלֹ֤א אַתֶּם֙ …
And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead: ‘Did not ye hate me, and drive me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?’
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֶל־יְקוָק֙ חָטָ֔אנוּ עֲשֵׂה־אַתָּ֣ה לָ֔נוּ כְּכָל־הַטּ֖וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ אַ֛ךְ הַצִּילֵ֥נוּ נָ֖א הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
And the children of Israel said unto the LORD: ‘We have sinned; do Thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto Thee; only deliver us, we pray Thee, this day.’
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְקוָ֖ק בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵם֙ בְּיַד־פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּבְיַ֖ד בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He gave them over into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the children of Ammon.
וַיִּרְא֥וּ אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֵּלְכ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לִמְקֹמֽוֹ׃
And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.
וַיַּ֨עַל אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ הַר־צַלְמ֗וֹן הוּא֮ וְכָל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ֒ וַיִּקַּח֩ …
And Abimelech got him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder; and he said unto the people that were with him: ‘What ye have seen me do, make haste…
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 3 | 2.2 |
| 11 to 100 | 22 | 21.7 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 229 | 215 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 903 | 926 |
| 5,001 to 76,212 | 7,478 | 8,021 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 254. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 254 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 19/100 | 239 | 191 to 273 |
| Words within each verse | 3/100 | 224 | 184 to 262 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 2,306 | 2,353 |
| Exodus | 1,574 | 1,914 |
| Leviticus | 1,254 | 1,350 |
| Numbers | 2,250 | 1,915 |
| Deuteronomy | 1,251 | 1,655 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 36,551 | 35,401 |
| Prophets | 58,564 | 64,309 |
| Writings | 45,733 | 39,298 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set חנוכה 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.