Kislev כסלו
Hanukkah's month stands in Nehemiah and Zechariah. In Job, the same letters mean a man's confidence.
- Found in the Torah
- 55,599
- Chance alone: 51,820
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 971,662
- Chance alone: 964,848
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Nehemiah 1:1 opens in the month Kislev in the twentieth year, in Shushan the castle, when news reaches him that Jerusalem's walls are down. Zechariah 7:1 uses it too, with a date, the fourth of the ninth month. These are the only two places it is a month, and both are from after the Exile. The same letters, with different vowels, mean something else. In Job 8:14 כסלו is his confidence, in a line that JPS gives as whose confidence is gossamer, a spider's web. For a Hebrew reader today Kislev means one thing, the twenty-fifth and the eight nights after it, and the Tanakh has not heard of those. See Hanukkah for that part of the story.
- As a whole word
- 2
- First, with any prefix
- Zechariah 7:1
- Last
- Nehemiah 1:1
The measurement
Over every skip the Torah's count runs 7.3 percent above the formula, and at the default skips it falls 5.8 percent below, 4,684 against 4,973.2. A single figure would have told you one of those stories and left out the other.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 55,599 | 971,662 |
| Chance alone | 51,820 | 964,848 |
| P (≥ found) | 9.0 × 10⁻⁶¹ | 2.1 × 10⁻¹² |
| Shortest skip | 3 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 100,962 | 398,605 |
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 4,684 against 4,973 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| כסלו2 as a word | 55,599 chance 51,820 | 971,662 chance 964,848 |
| כסליו0 as a word | 4,280 chance 4,023 | 85,398 chance 83,346 |
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 Exodus 40:21
וַיָּבֵ֣א אֶת־הָאָרֹן֮ אֶל־הַמִּשְׁכָּן֒ וַיָּ֗שֶׂם אֵ֚ת פָּרֹ֣כֶת הַמָּסָ֔ךְ וַיָּ֕סֶךְ עַ֖ל אֲר֣וֹן הָעֵד֑וּת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְקוָ֖ק אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃
And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Shortest skip 3, backward from Deuteronomy 10:1
בָּעֵ֨ת הַהִ֜וא אָמַ֧ר יְקוָ֣ק אֵלַ֗י פְּסָל־לְךָ֞ שְׁנֵֽי־לֻוחֹ֤ת אֲבָנִים֙ כָּרִ֣אשֹׁנִ֔ים וַעֲלֵ֥ה אֵלַ֖י הָהָ֑רָה וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ לְּךָ֖ אֲר֥וֹן עֵֽץ׃
At that time the LORD said unto me: ‘Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto Me into the mount; and make thee an ark of wood.
Short skip 51, backward from Leviticus 7:6
כָּל־זָכָ֥ר בַּכֹּהֲנִ֖ים יֹאכְלֶ֑נּוּ בְּמָק֤וֹם קָדוֹשׁ֙ יֵאָכֵ֔ל קֹ֥דֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁ֖ים הֽוּא׃
Every male among the priests may eat thereof; it shall be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy.
וְאֵת֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת וְאֶת־הַחֵ֨לֶב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲלֵיהֶ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַכְּסָלִ֑ים וְאֶת־הַיֹּתֶ֨רֶת֙ עַל־הַכָּבֵ֔ד עַל־הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת יְסִירֶֽנָּה׃
and the two kidneys, and the fat that is on them, which is by the loins, and the lobe above the liver, which he shall take away by the kidneys.
וְאֵ֥ת כָּל־חֶלְבּ֖וֹ יַקְרִ֣יב מִמֶּ֑נּוּ אֵ֚ת הָֽאַלְיָ֔ה וְאֶת־הַחֵ֖לֶב הַֽמְכַסֶּ֥ה אֶת־הַקֶּֽרֶב׃
And he shall offer of it all the fat thereof: the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards,
Middle skip 504, backward from Numbers 21:21
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מַלְאָכִ֔ים אֶל־סִיחֹ֥ן מֶֽלֶךְ־הָאֱמֹרִ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃
And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying:
וַיַּ֤עַשׂ מֹשֶׁה֙ נְחַ֣שׁ נְחֹ֔שֶׁת וַיְשִׂמֵ֖הוּ עַל־הַנֵּ֑ס וְהָיָ֗ה אִם־נָשַׁ֤ךְ הַנָּחָשׁ֙ אֶת־אִ֔ישׁ וְהִבִּ֛יט אֶל־נְחַ֥שׁ הַנְּחֹ֖שֶׁת וָחָֽי׃
And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֞ע הַכְּנַעֲנִ֤י מֶֽלֶךְ־עֲרָד֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב הַנֶּ֔גֶב כִּ֚י בָּ֣א יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל דֶּ֖רֶךְ הָאֲתָרִ֑ים וַיִּלָּ֨חֶם֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיִּ֥שְׁבְּ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ שֶֽׁבִי׃
And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of Atharim; and he fought against Israel, and took some of them captive.
וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֥יו בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֘ל בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה נַעֲלֶה֒ וְאִם־מֵימֶ֤יךָ נִשְׁתֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י וּמִקְנַ֔י וְנָתַתִּ֖י מִכְרָ֑ם רַ֥ק אֵין־דָּבָ֖ר בְּרַגְלַ֥י אֶֽעֱבֹֽרָה׃
And the children of Israel said unto him: ‘We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of thy water, I and my cattle, then will I give the price thereof; let me only pass through on my feet; there is no hurt.’
Wide skip 5,003, forward from Genesis 9:17
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֱ־לֹהִ֖ים אֶל־נֹ֑חַ זֹ֤את אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲקִמֹ֔תִי בֵּינִ֕י וּבֵ֥ין כָּל־בָּשָׂ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And God said unto Noah: ‘This is the token of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth.’
עָשׂ֣וּ מִלְחָמָ֗ה אֶת־בֶּ֨רַע֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ סְדֹ֔ם וְאֶת־בִּרְשַׁ֖ע מֶ֣לֶךְ עֲמֹרָ֑ה שִׁנְאָ֣ב …
that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela—the same is Zoar.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְקוָ֖ק אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם לָ֣מָּה זֶּה֩ צָחֲקָ֨ה שָׂרָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר הַאַ֥ף אֻמְנָ֛ם אֵלֵ֖ד וַאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי׃
And the LORD said unto Abraham: ‘Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אֱ־לֹהִים֮ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַנַּעַר֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱ־לֹהִ֤ים …
And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her: ‘What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Ecclesiastes 10:3
וְגַם־בַּדֶּ֛רֶךְ כשהסכלכְּשֶׁסָּכָ֥ל הֹלֵ֖ךְ לִבּ֣וֹ חָסֵ֑ר וְאָמַ֥ר לַכֹּ֖ל סָכָ֥ל הֽוּא׃
Yea also, when a fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 4:9
… עַל־הַדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אַתָּ֣ה הוֹלֵ֔ךְ כִּ֣י בְֽיַד־אִשָּׁ֔ה יִמְכֹּ֥ר יְקוָ֖ק אֶת־סִֽיסְרָ֑א …
And she said: ‘I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thy honour; for the LORD will give Sisera over into the hand of a woman.’ And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.
וְסִֽיסְרָא֙ נָ֣ס בְּרַגְלָ֔יו אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל יָעֵ֔ל …
Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
וַתֵּ֜לֶךְ יַ֤ד בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הָל֣וֹךְ וְקָשָׁ֔ה עַ֖ל יָבִ֣ין מֶֽלֶךְ־כְּנָ֑עַן עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִכְרִ֔יתוּ אֵ֖ת יָבִ֥ין מֶֽלֶךְ־כְּנָֽעַן׃
And the hand of the children of Israel prevailed more and more against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
מִקּ֣וֹל מְחַֽצְצִ֗ים בֵּ֚ין מַשְׁאַבִּ֔ים שָׁ֤ם יְתַנּוּ֙ צִדְק֣וֹת יְקוָ֔ק צִדְקֹ֥ת פִּרְזֹנ֖וֹ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָ֛ז יָרְד֥וּ לַשְּׁעָרִ֖ים עַם־יְקוָֽק׃
Louder than the voice of archers, by the watering-troughs! There shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, Even the righteous acts of His rulers in Israel. Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 5 | 9.2 |
| 11 to 100 | 91 | 91.7 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 869 | 913 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 3,719 | 3,959 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 50,915 | 46,847 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 965. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 965 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 90/100 | 1,017 | 927 to 1,097 |
| Words within each verse | 21/100 | 943 | 860 to 1,035 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 12,383 | 13,271 |
| Exodus | 10,612 | 10,799 |
| Leviticus | 8,152 | 7,614 |
| Numbers | 8,843 | 10,802 |
| Deuteronomy | 15,609 | 9,334 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 212,737 | 245,717 |
| Prophets | 441,728 | 446,366 |
| Writings | 317,197 | 272,765 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set כסלו beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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