Jericho יריחו
One city, three spellings, and they sort largely by book. Numbers and Deuteronomy use a short form, Joshua a longer one, and 1 Kings a third.
- Found in the Torah
- 34,463
- Chance alone: 34,958
- Skips 2 to 76,212
- Found in the Tanakh
- 677,075
- Chance alone: 674,482
- Skips 2 to 299,260
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Spelling sometimes moves with the book. In Numbers the town is ירחו, in the phrase across from the Jordan at Jericho, and Deuteronomy writes the same. Then Joshua arrives and the town is יריחו, 21 bare cases of it, and the book never writes the short form. And in 1 Kings 16:34, when a man named Hiel rebuilds the place at the cost of two sons, it is יריחה, spelled a third way and found only there. The walls come down in Joshua 6 and give the town its fame, and the verse in Kings carries out Joshua's curse. The name may come from ירח, the moon.
- As a whole word
- 23
- First, with any prefix
- Joshua 2:1
- Last
- 2 Kings 2:18
The measurement
The Torah uses only the short spelling, and that has no effect on it: 456,968 sequences against 450,289.1 by chance. The long spelling, which the Torah never writes, has 34,463 against 34,957.8. Each is within 1.5 percent of the formula, and the book that chose it is not a factor.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 34,463 | 677,075 |
| Chance alone | 34,958 | 674,482 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 0.0008 |
| Shortest skip | 3 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 76,022 | 298,912 |
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 4,416 against 4,436 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| יריחו23 as a word | 34,463 chance 34,958 | 677,075 chance 674,482 |
| ירחו20 as a word | 456,968 chance 450,289 | 7,678,195 chance 7,808,120 |
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 Numbers 34:27
Short skip 51, forward from Genesis 43:9
אָֽנֹכִי֙ אֶֽעֶרְבֶ֔נּוּ מִיָּדִ֖י תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נּוּ אִם־לֹ֨א הֲבִיאֹתִ֤יו אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ וְהִצַּגְתִּ֣יו לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְחָטָ֥אתִֽי לְךָ֖ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֲבִיהֶ֗ם אִם־כֵּ֣ן אֵפוֹא֮ זֹ֣את עֲשׂוּ֒ קְח֞וּ מִזִּמְרַ֤ת הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ לָאִ֖ישׁ מִנְחָ֑ה מְעַ֤ט צֳרִי֙ …
And their father Israel said unto them: ‘If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds;
וְכֶ֥סֶף מִשְׁנֶ֖ה קְח֣וּ בְיֶדְכֶ֑ם וְאֶת־הַכֶּ֜סֶף הַמּוּשָׁ֨ב בְּפִ֤י אַמְתְּחֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ תָּשִׁ֣יבוּ בְיֶדְכֶ֔ם אוּלַ֥י מִשְׁגֶּ֖ה הֽוּא׃
and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight;
וְאֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֖ם קָ֑חוּ וְק֖וּמוּ שׁ֥וּבוּ אֶל־הָאִֽישׁ׃
take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;
Middle skip 500, forward from Deuteronomy 19:9
… אֶת־יְקוָ֧ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֛יךָ וְלָלֶ֥כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִ֑ים וְיָסַפְתָּ֨ לְךָ֥ עוֹד֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ …
if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in His ways—then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three;
וַעֲשִׂ֣יתֶם ל֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר זָמַ֖ם לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת לְאָחִ֑יו וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃
then shall ye do unto him, as he had purposed to do unto his brother; so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
וּמִֽי־הָאִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־אֵרַ֤שׂ אִשָּׁה֙ וְלֹ֣א לְקָחָ֔הּ יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ פֶּן־יָמוּת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵ֖ר יִקָּחֶֽנָּה׃
And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.’
כִּֽי־הַחֲרֵ֣ם תַּחֲרִימֵ֗ם הַחִתִּ֤י וְהָאֱמֹרִי֙ הַכְּנַעֲנִ֣י וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖ יְקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֶֽיךָ׃
but thou shalt utterly destroy them: the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee;
וְהוֹרִ֡דוּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֤וא אֶת־הָֽעֶגְלָה֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל אֵיתָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יֵעָבֵ֥ד בּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִזָּרֵ֑עַ וְעָֽרְפוּ־שָׁ֥ם אֶת־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה בַּנָּֽחַל׃
And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which may neither be plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley.
Wide skip 5,003, backward from Exodus 2:23
וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֨מָת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱ־לֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה׃
And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
וַאֲנִ֞י נָתַ֧תִּֽי לְךָ֛ שְׁכֶ֥ם אַחַ֖ד עַל־אַחֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָקַ֨חְתִּי֙ מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחַרְבִּ֖י וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי׃
Moreover I have given to thee one aportion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.’
… אֹת֑וֹ וַתְּחִ֕י ר֖וּחַ יַעֲקֹ֥ב אֲבִיהֶֽם׃
And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.
וְאִם־אֵינְךָ֥ מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ לֹ֣א נֵרֵ֑ד כִּֽי־הָאִ֞ישׁ אָמַ֤ר אֵלֵ֨ינוּ֙ לֹֽא־תִרְא֣וּ פָנַ֔י בִּלְתִּ֖י אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אִתְּכֶֽם׃
but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.’
וַתֹּאכַ֣לְנָה הַפָּר֗וֹת רָע֤וֹת הַמַּרְאֶה֙ וְדַקֹּ֣ת הַבָּשָׂ֔ר אֵ֚ת שֶׁ֣בַע הַפָּר֔וֹת יְפֹ֥ת הַמַּרְאֶ֖ה וְהַבְּרִיאֹ֑ת וַיִּיקַ֖ץ פַּרְעֹֽה׃
And the ill-favoured and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Ezra 8:19
Middle skip 500, forward from 1 Kings 11:18
וַיָּקֻ֨מוּ֙ מִמִּדְיָ֔ן וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ פָּארָ֑ן וַיִּקְחוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים …
And they arose out of Midian, and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house, and appointed him victuals, and gave him land.
וַיְהִ֨י שָׂטָ֤ן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וְאֶת־הָרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲדָ֑ד וַיָּ֨קָץ֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּמְלֹ֖ךְ עַל־אֲרָֽם׃
And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Aram.
… עֲזָב֗וּנִי וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ֮ לְעַשְׁתֹּרֶת֮ אֱ־לֹהֵ֣י צִֽדֹנִין֒ לִכְמוֹשׁ֙ אֱ־לֹהֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב וּלְמִלְכֹּ֖ם …
because that they have forsaken Me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, to do that which is right in Mine eyes, and to keep My statutes and Mine ordinances…
וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְהָמִ֣ית אֶת־יָרָבְעָ֑ם וַיָּ֣קָם יָרָבְעָ֗ם וַיִּבְרַ֤ח מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ אֶל־שִׁישַׁ֣ק מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיְהִ֥י בְמִצְרַ֖יִם עַד־מ֥וֹת שְׁלֹמֹֽה׃
Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
… חַ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר אֵ֚יךְ אַתֶּ֣ם נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶת־הָֽעָם־הַזֶּ֖ה דָּבָֽר׃
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying: ‘What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?’
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 5 | 8.3 |
| 11 to 100 | 73 | 82.5 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 837 | 820 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 3,501 | 3,525 |
| 5,001 to 76,212 | 30,047 | 30,522 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 915. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 915 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 42/100 | 911 | 829 to 981 |
| Words within each verse | 23/100 | 896 | 819 to 980 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 10,924 | 8,952 |
| Exodus | 7,215 | 7,285 |
| Leviticus | 3,955 | 5,137 |
| Numbers | 6,234 | 7,287 |
| Deuteronomy | 6,135 | 6,297 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 148,839 | 171,770 |
| Prophets | 323,904 | 312,034 |
| Writings | 204,332 | 190,678 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set יריחו beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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