Jordan ירדן
The Tanakh's river almost always wears the article, הירדן, the Jordan. In the plains of Moab the bare form becomes a phrase of its own.
- Found in the Torah
- 201,485
- Chance alone: 203,775
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 3,948,822
- Chance alone: 3,893,137
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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The Jordan is the Jordan. Hebrew almost always writes it with the article, 144 times, as it would for a thing of which there is only one. Bare ירדן is rare, nine cases, and seven of them are one phrase in Numbers, ירדן ירחו, the Jordan at Jericho, the place from which Israel looks over. Israel camps there at the end of Numbers, and the Torah ends on that bank. The root means to go down, a fair description of a river that falls from Hermon to the lowest place on earth. Elijah crosses it dry and Naaman washes in it. The whole Torah stops short of it.
- As a whole word
- 9
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 13:10
The measurement
At the default skips the Torah gives 19,605 against 19,556.4, and the shuffled texts agree. This is what a term with nothing to report looks like.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 201,485 | 3,948,822 |
| Chance alone | 203,775 | 3,893,137 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.0 × 10⁻¹⁷⁴ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,439 | 398,634 |
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 19,605 against 19,556 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 37:14
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֨יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֨הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃
And he said to him: ‘Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me back word.’ So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.
Shortest skip 2, backward from Numbers 12:2
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ הֲרַ֤ק אַךְ־בְּמֹשֶׁה֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְקוָ֔ק הֲלֹ֖א גַּם־בָּ֣נוּ דִבֵּ֑ר וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע יְקוָֽק׃
And they said: ‘Hath the LORD indeed spoken only with Moses? hath He not spoken also with us?’ And the LORD heard it.—
Short skip 50, backward from Leviticus 22:18
דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־בָּנָ֗יו וְאֶל֙ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אִ֣ישׁ אִישׁ֩ מִבֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל וּמִן־הַגֵּ֣ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַקְרִ֤יב קָרְבָּנוֹ֙ לְכָל־נִדְרֵיהֶם֙ וּלְכָל־נִדְבוֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־יַקְרִ֥יבוּ לַיקוָ֖ק לְעֹלָֽה׃
Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them: Whosoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that bringeth his offering, whether it be any of their vows, or any of their free-will-offerings…
וְהִשִּׂ֤יאוּ אוֹתָם֙ עֲוֺ֣ן אַשְׁמָ֔ה בְּאָכְלָ֖ם אֶת־קָדְשֵׁיהֶ֑ם כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְקוָ֖ק מְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃
and so cause them to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt, when they eat their holy things; for I am the LORD who sanctify them.
Middle skip 500, backward from Exodus 8:23
דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים נֵלֵ֖ךְ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְזָבַ֨חְנוּ֙ לַֽיקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֵ֔ינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יֹאמַ֥ר אֵלֵֽינוּ׃
We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as He shall command us.’
וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ הַֽחַרְטֻמִּים֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה אֶצְבַּ֥ע אֱ־לֹהִ֖ים הִ֑וא וַיֶּחֱזַ֤ק לֵב־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְלֹֽא־שָׁמַ֣ע אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֥ר יְקוָֽק׃
Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh: ‘This is the finger of God’; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְמָחָ֑ר וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ כִּדְבָ֣רְךָ֔ לְמַ֣עַן תֵּדַ֔ע כִּי־אֵ֖ין כַּיקוָ֥ק אֱ־לֹהֵֽינוּ׃
And he said: ‘Against to-morrow.’ And he said: ‘Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
וְאִם־מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֑חַ הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִ֗י נֹגֵ֛ף אֶת־כָּל־גְּבוּלְךָ֖ בַּֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃
And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs.
Wide skip 5,006, forward from Deuteronomy 18:20
… לְדַבֵּ֔ר וַאֲשֶׁ֣ר יְדַבֵּ֔ר בְּשֵׁ֖ם אֱ־לֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וּמֵ֖ת הַנָּבִ֥יא הַהֽוּא׃
But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’
כִּֽי־יִמָּצֵ֨א אִ֜ישׁ שֹׁכֵ֣ב עִם־אִשָּׁ֣ה בְעֻֽלַת־בַּ֗עַל וּמֵ֨תוּ֙ גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם הָאִ֛ישׁ הַשֹּׁכֵ֥ב עִם־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וְהָאִשָּׁ֑ה וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel.
אֶת־יְקוָ֥ק הֶאֱמַ֖רְתָּ הַיּ֑וֹם לִהְיוֹת֩ לְךָ֨ לֵֽא־לֹהִ֜ים וְלָלֶ֣כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֗יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר חֻקָּ֧יו וּמִצְוֺתָ֛יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃
Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and that thou wouldest walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and hearken unto His voice.
וְהָי֣וּ חַיֶּ֔יךָ תְּלֻאִ֥ים לְךָ֖ מִנֶּ֑גֶד וּפָֽחַדְתָּ֙ לַ֣יְלָה וְיוֹמָ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תַאֲמִ֖ין בְּחַיֶּֽיךָ׃
And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear night and day, and shalt have no assurance of thy life.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, backward from Judges 18:28
וְאֵ֨ין מַצִּ֜יל כִּ֧י רְֽחוֹקָה־הִ֣יא מִצִּיד֗וֹן וְדָבָ֤ר אֵין־לָהֶם֙ עִם־אָדָ֔ם וְהִ֕יא בָּעֵ֖מֶק אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְבֵית־רְח֑וֹב וַיִּבְנ֥וּ אֶת־הָעִ֖יר וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ בָֽהּ׃
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt therein.
Middle skip 500, forward from Ezekiel 13:11
אֱמֹ֛ר אֶל־טָחֵ֥י תָפֵ֖ל וְיִפֹּ֑ל הָיָ֣ה גֶּ֣שֶׁם שׁוֹטֵ֗ף וְאַתֵּ֜נָה אַבְנֵ֤י אֶלְגָּבִישׁ֙ תִּפֹּ֔לְנָה וְר֥וּחַ סְעָר֖וֹת תְּבַקֵּֽעַ׃
say unto them that daub it with whited plaster, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower, and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall break forth,
וַתְּחַלֶּלְ֨נָה אֹתִ֜י אֶל־עַמִּ֗י בְּשַׁעֲלֵ֣י שְׂעֹרִים֮ וּבִפְת֣וֹתֵי לֶחֶם֒ לְהָמִ֤ית נְפָשׁוֹת֙ …
And ye have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for crumbs of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to My people that hearken unto lies.
לָכֵ֣ן דַּבֵּר־א֠וֹתָם וְאָמַרְתָּ֨ אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם כֹּה־אָמַ֣ר אֲדֹנָ֣י …
Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his mind, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet…
וְנָשְׂא֖וּ עֲוֺנָ֑ם כַּֽעֲוֺן֙ הַדֹּרֵ֔שׁ כַּעֲוֺ֥ן הַנָּבִ֖יא יִֽהְיֶֽה׃
And they shall bear their iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that inquireth;
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 29 | 36.1 |
| 11 to 100 | 365 | 361 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 3,578 | 3,590 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 15,633 | 15,569 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 181,880 | 184,219 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 3,972. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 3,972 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 56/100 | 3,987 | 3,853 to 4,134 |
| Words within each verse | 49/100 | 3,971 | 3,839 to 4,164 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 60,166 | 52,185 |
| Exodus | 41,858 | 42,467 |
| Leviticus | 24,134 | 29,943 |
| Numbers | 39,062 | 42,476 |
| Deuteronomy | 36,265 | 36,704 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 861,557 | 991,463 |
| Prophets | 1,850,301 | 1,801,073 |
| Writings | 1,236,964 | 1,100,600 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set ירדן beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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