Miriam מרים
The first woman the Torah calls a prophetess. Proverbs uses the same four letters, as a verb, for what the fool does.
- Found in the Torah
- 1,236,496
- Chance alone: 1,291,382
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 21,525,922
- Chance alone: 21,364,579
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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She is unnamed when she watches the basket in Exodus 2:4. Her name first appears at the far side of the sea in Exodus 15:20, and with a title: Miriam the prophetess, the first woman the Torah calls that, with a timbrel in her hand. Micah 6:4 later lists her beside Moses and Aaron as one of the three the Lord sent before Israel, in a single line. Numbers 20:1 records her death in one sentence, and the water runs out in the next. The bare word מרים has other work to do in the Tanakh. In Proverbs 3:35 and 14:29 it is a verb from the root for raising up, and in Exodus 15:23 it is the bitter water.
- As a whole word
- 16
- First, with any prefix
- Exodus 12:42
The measurement
A count can stand on both sides of chance at once. Taken over every skip this one falls 4.2 percent short. At skips 2 to 1,000 the real 25,760 beats every letter shuffle, whose highest run is 25,658. The shortest sequence is one word, מכרתיהם, in Jacob's words on Simeon and Levi, Genesis 49:5.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 1,236,496 | 21,525,922 |
| Chance alone | 1,291,382 | 21,364,579 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.4 × 10⁻²⁶⁶ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,524 | 398,924 |
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 125,277 against 123,935 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 Genesis 49:5
שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
Simeon and Levi are brethren; Weapons of violence their kinship.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Exodus 8:6
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.
Short skip 50, forward from Numbers 7:7
אֵ֣ת שְׁתֵּ֣י הָעֲגָלֹ֗ת וְאֵת֙ אַרְבַּ֣עַת הַבָּקָ֔ר נָתַ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י גֵרְשׁ֑וֹן כְּפִ֖י עֲבֹדָתָֽם׃
Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service.
וְאֵ֣ת אַרְבַּ֣ע הָעֲגָלֹ֗ת וְאֵת֙ שְׁמֹנַ֣ת הַבָּקָ֔ר נָתַ֖ן לִבְנֵ֣י מְרָרִ֑י כְּפִי֙ עֲבֹ֣דָתָ֔ם בְּיַד֙ אִֽיתָמָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
And four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according unto their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.
וַיַּקְרִ֣יבוּ הַנְּשִׂאִ֗ים אֵ֚ת חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ בְּי֖וֹם הִמָּשַׁ֣ח אֹת֑וֹ וַיַּקְרִ֧יבוּ הַנְּשִׂיאִ֛ם אֶת־קָרְבָּנָ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
And the princes brought the dedication-offering of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes brought their offering before the altar.
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 7:33
הַמַּקְרִ֞יב אֶת־דַּ֧ם הַשְּׁלָמִ֛ים וְאֶת־הַחֵ֖לֶב מִבְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹ֑ן ל֧וֹ תִהְיֶ֛ה שׁ֥וֹק הַיָּמִ֖ין לְמָנָֽה׃
He among the sons of Aaron, that offereth the blood of the peace-offerings, and the fat, shall have the right thigh for a portion.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־הָעֵדָ֑ה זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְקוָ֖ק לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃
And Moses said unto the congregation: ‘This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded to be done.’
וַיַּגֵּ֕שׁ אֵ֖ת פַּ֣ר הַֽחַטָּ֑את וַיִּסְמֹ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֤ן וּבָנָיו֙ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־רֹ֖אשׁ פַּ֥ר הַֽחַטָּֽאת׃
And the bullock of the sin-offering was brought; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock of the sin-offering.
וַיִּשְׁחָ֓ט וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ מִדָּמ֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֛ן עַל־תְּנ֥וּךְ אֹֽזֶן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַיְמָנִ֑ית וְעַל־בֹּ֤הֶן יָדוֹ֙ הַיְמָנִ֔ית וְעַל־בֹּ֥הֶן רַגְל֖וֹ הַיְמָנִֽית׃
And when it was slain, Moses took of the blood thereof, and put it upon the tip of Aaron’s right ear, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Deuteronomy 2:21
עַ֣ם גָּד֥וֹל וְרַ֛ב וָרָ֖ם כָּעֲנָקִ֑ים וַיַּשְׁמִידֵ֤ם יְקוָק֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּירָשֻׁ֖ם וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ תַחְתָּֽם׃
a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead;
… וּבְיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמוֹרָאִ֖ים גְּדֹלִ֑ים כְּ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם …
Or hath God assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before thine eyes?
וְאָכַלְתָּ֣ אֶת־כָּל־הָֽעַמִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְקוָ֤ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֨יךָ֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ לֹא־תָחֹ֥ס עֵֽינְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹ֤א תַעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־אֱ־לֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־מוֹקֵ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לָֽךְ׃
And thou shalt consume all the peoples that the LORD thy God shall deliver unto thee; thine eye shall not pity them; neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֣ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֗וֹ וְחֻקֹּתָ֧יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֛יו וּמִצְוֺתָ֖יו כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His ordinances, and His commandments, alway.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 9:22
… יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר לָמָּה֩ רִמִּיתֶ֨ם אֹתָ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר רְחוֹקִ֨ים אֲנַ֤חְנוּ …
And Joshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying: ‘Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying: We are very far from you, when ye dwell among us?
Middle skip 500, forward from 1 Samuel 3:20
וַיֵּ֨דַע֙ כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִדָּ֖ן וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כִּ֚י נֶאֱמָ֣ן שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל לְנָבִ֖יא לַיקוָֽק׃
And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
… הַתְּרוּעָ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֶ֠ה ק֣וֹל הַתְּרוּעָ֧ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֛ה הַזֹּ֖את בְּמַחֲנֵ֣ה הָעִבְרִ֑ים …
And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said: ‘What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?’ And they knew that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע עֵלִי֙ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַצְּעָקָ֔ה וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מֶ֛ה ק֥וֹל הֶהָמ֖וֹן הַזֶּ֑ה וְהָאִ֣ישׁ מִהַ֔ר וַיָּבֹ֖א וַיַּגֵּ֥ד לְעֵלִֽי׃
And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said: ‘What meaneth the noise of this tumult?’ And the man made haste, and came and told Eli.
וַתִּקְרָ֣א לַנַּ֗עַר אִֽי־כָבוֹד֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר גָּלָ֥ה כָב֖וֹד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֶל־הִלָּקַח֙ אֲר֣וֹן הָאֱ־לֹהִ֔ים וְאֶל־חָמִ֖יהָ וְאִישָֽׁהּ׃
And she named the child Ichabod, saying: ‘The glory is departed from Israel’; because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 197 | 229 |
| 11 to 100 | 2,394 | 2,286 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 23,169 | 22,752 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 99,517 | 98,668 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 1,111,219 | 1,167,447 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 25,760. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 25,760 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 0/100 | 25,259 | 24,920 to 25,658 |
| Words within each verse | 46/100 | 25,737 | 25,347 to 26,172 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 322,586 | 330,710 |
| Exodus | 277,781 | 269,125 |
| Leviticus | 159,148 | 189,757 |
| Numbers | 269,105 | 269,184 |
| Deuteronomy | 207,876 | 232,606 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 5,332,956 | 5,440,905 |
| Prophets | 10,020,340 | 9,883,850 |
| Writings | 6,172,626 | 6,039,824 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set מרים beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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