Manasseh מנשה
Joseph's first-born, a king of Judah, and a scribal raised letter in Judges 18:30 that keeps Moses's name off an idol's priest.
- Found in the Torah
- 583,677
- Chance alone: 556,172
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 7,332,503
- Chance alone: 7,523,556
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Open a printed Tanakh at Judges 18:30 and you will see the letter נ set above the line, in the middle of a name. The verse says the priest of the idol at Dan was Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of מנשה. But Gershom is Moses's son. The Talmud in Bava Batra 109b asks the question outright, is he the son of Manasseh? He is the son of Moses. Its answer is that because he acted as Manasseh did, Scripture hung his name on Manasseh, and the suspended נ is the scribal form that tradition pairs with that answer. The Leningrad text carries that letter as one of the word's own, so the נ counts in every search, and the search has no way of knowing it was ever raised. The name itself means making to forget, Genesis 41:51, and it also belonged to Judah's longest-reigning king.
- As a whole word
- 113
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 41:51
The measurement
Here the short skips run ahead, 138 at skips 2 to 10 against 98.5 by chance, and the first of them shows why. It stands in לכם מן השדה, from the field, Exodus 10:5, a phrase the Torah uses again and again.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 583,677 | 7,332,503 |
| Chance alone | 556,172 | 7,523,556 |
| P (≥ found) | 2.6 × 10⁻²⁹³ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,582 | 398,979 |
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 53,648 against 53,376 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, forward from Exodus 10:5
… מִן־הַבָּרָ֔ד וְאָכַל֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָעֵ֔ץ הַצֹּמֵ֥חַ לָכֶ֖ם מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃
and they shall cover the face of the earth, that one shall not be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field;
Shortest skip 2, forward from Exodus 29:38
וְזֶ֕ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ כְּבָשִׂ֧ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֛ה שְׁנַ֥יִם לַיּ֖וֹם תָּמִֽיד׃
Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar: two lambs of the first year day by day continually.
Short skip 50, forward from Genesis 20:6
… בְתָם־לְבָבְךָ֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּ֔את וָאֶחְשֹׂ֧ךְ גַּם־אָנֹכִ֛י אֽוֹתְךָ֖ מֵחֲטוֹ־לִ֑י עַל־כֵּ֥ן לֹא־נְתַתִּ֖יךָ …
And God said unto him in the dream: ‘Yea, I know that in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
וְעַתָּ֗ה הָשֵׁ֤ב אֵֽשֶׁת־הָאִישׁ֙ כִּֽי־נָבִ֣יא ה֔וּא וְיִתְפַּלֵּ֥ל בַּֽעַדְךָ֖ וֶֽחְיֵ֑ה וְאִם־אֵֽינְךָ֣ מֵשִׁ֗יב דַּ֚ע כִּי־מ֣וֹת תָּמ֔וּת אַתָּ֖ה וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לָֽךְ׃
Now therefore restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.’
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֨ם אֲבִימֶ֜לֶךְ בַּבֹּ֗קֶר וַיִּקְרָא֙ לְכָל־עֲבָדָ֔יו וַיְדַבֵּ֛ר אֶת־כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה בְּאָזְנֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּֽירְא֥וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֖ים מְאֹֽד׃
And Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their ears; and the men were sore afraid.
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 5:11
… עֲשִׂירִ֧ת הָאֵפָ֛ה סֹ֖לֶת לְחַטָּ֑את לֹא־יָשִׂ֨ים עָלֶ֜יהָ שֶׁ֗מֶן וְלֹא־יִתֵּ֤ן עָלֶ֨יהָ֙ …
But if his means suffice not for two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he shall bring his offering for that wherein he hath sinned, the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin-offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon; for it is a sin-offering.
נֶ֚פֶשׁ כִּ֣י תֶחֱטָ֔א וּמָעֲלָ֥ה מַ֖עַל בַּיקוָ֑ק וְכִחֵ֨שׁ בַּעֲמִית֜וֹ בְּפִקָּד֗וֹן אֽוֹ־בִתְשׂ֤וּמֶת יָד֙ א֣וֹ בְגָזֵ֔ל א֖וֹ עָשַׁ֥ק אֶת־עֲמִיתֽוֹ׃
If any one sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and deal falsely with his neighbour in a matter of deposit, or of pledge, or of robbery, or have oppressed his neighbour;
… יִלְבַּ֣שׁ עַל־בְּשָׂרוֹ֒ וְהֵרִ֣ים אֶת־הַדֶּ֗שֶׁן אֲשֶׁ֨ר תֹּאכַ֥ל הָאֵ֛שׁ אֶת־הָעֹלָ֖ה עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ …
And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes whereto the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.
זֶ֡ה קָרְבַּן֩ אַהֲרֹ֨ן וּבָנָ֜יו אֲשֶׁר־יַקְרִ֣יבוּ לַֽיקוָ֗ק בְּיוֹם֙ …
This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half thereof in the evening.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Numbers 4:3
מִבֶּ֨ן שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים שָׁנָה֙ וָמַ֔עְלָה וְעַ֖ד בֶּן־חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֑ה כָּל־בָּא֙ לַצָּבָ֔א לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת מְלָאכָ֖ה בְּאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃
from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter upon the service, to do work in the tent of meeting.
וְסַ֣ל מַצּ֗וֹת סֹ֤לֶת חַלֹּת֙ בְּלוּלֹ֣ת בַּשֶּׁ֔מֶן וּרְקִיקֵ֥י מַצּ֖וֹת מְשֻׁחִ֣ים בַּשָּׁ֑מֶן וּמִנְחָתָ֖ם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶֽם׃
and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings.
וְלָֽקְחוּ֙ פַּ֣ר בֶּן־בָּקָ֔ר וּמִנְחָת֔וֹ סֹ֖לֶת בְּלוּלָ֣ה בַשָּׁ֑מֶן וּפַר־שֵׁנִ֥י בֶן־בָּקָ֖ר תִּקַּ֥ח לְחַטָּֽאת׃
Then let them take a young bullock, and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin-offering.
לֹ֣א י֥וֹם אֶחָ֛ד תֹּאכְל֖וּן וְלֹ֣א יוֹמָ֑יִם וְלֹ֣א חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה יָמִ֗ים וְלֹא֙ עֲשָׂרָ֣ה יָמִ֔ים וְלֹ֖א עֶשְׂרִ֥ים יֽוֹם׃
Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days;
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 18:9
וַיֵּלְכ֤וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ וַיַּעַבְר֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ וַיִּכְתְּב֧וּהָ לֶֽעָרִ֛ים לְשִׁבְעָ֥ה חֲלָקִ֖ים עַל־סֵ֑פֶר וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ אֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁ֛עַ אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה שִׁלֹֽה׃
And the men went and passed through the land, and described it by cities into seven portions in a book, and they came to Joshua unto the camp at Shiloh.
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 1:36
וּגְבוּל֙ הָאֱמֹרִ֔י מִֽמַּעֲלֵ֖ה עַקְרַבִּ֑ים מֵהַסֶּ֖לַע וָמָֽעְלָה׃
And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.
וַיָּ֛מָת יְהוֹשֻׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן עֶ֣בֶד יְקוָ֑ק בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
וְגַ֤ם אֶל־שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙ לֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ כִּ֣י זָנ֗וּ אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱ־לֹהִ֣ים …
And yet they hearkened not unto their judges, for they went astray after other gods, and worshipped them; they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not so.
וְאֵ֤לֶּה הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִנִּ֣יחַ יְקוָ֔ק לְנַסּ֥וֹת בָּ֖ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יָדְע֔וּ אֵ֖ת כָּל־מִלְחֲמ֥וֹת כְּנָֽעַן׃
Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 138 | 98.5 |
| 11 to 100 | 972 | 985 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 9,780 | 9,799 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 42,758 | 42,494 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 530,029 | 502,796 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 10,890. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 10,890 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 43/100 | 10,876 | 10,637 to 11,179 |
| Words within each verse | 37/100 | 10,855 | 10,647 to 11,039 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 134,588 | 142,430 |
| Exodus | 118,978 | 115,907 |
| Leviticus | 80,655 | 81,725 |
| Numbers | 141,691 | 115,932 |
| Deuteronomy | 107,765 | 100,178 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 1,927,673 | 1,916,020 |
| Prophets | 3,216,931 | 3,480,607 |
| Writings | 2,187,899 | 2,126,930 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set מנשה beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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