Passover פסח
The name belongs to an offering before it belongs to a festival. The same letters also mean lame.
- Found in the Torah
- 110,000
- Chance alone: 103,848
- Skips 2 to 152,424
- Found in the Tanakh
- 1,637,312
- Chance alone: 1,609,223
- Skips 2 to 598,520
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Read Leviticus 23 slowly. On the fourteenth of the month is the פסח, an offering. On the fifteenth begins the feast of unleavened bread. The Torah keeps the two apart, and the name of the festival we use today was once the name of a lamb. The verb sits in Exodus 12:13: I will pass over you. A different meaning stands behind the same three letters. פסח means lame, in Deuteronomy 15:21 of an animal, and in 2 Samuel 9:13 of Mephibosheth, who was so from childhood. And Elijah asks the people how long they will halt between two opinions, פסחים, in 1 Kings 18:21. The search takes in all of it, feast and limp.
- As a whole word
- 26
- First, with any prefix
- Exodus 12:11
The measurement
At the laboratory's default range the Torah has 7,477 sequences against 6,700 by chance, 11.6 percent over, and no letter shuffle matches it. That sounds like a finding. Then 83 word shuffles in 100 beat it, and ordinary Hebrew turns out to be enough.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 110,000 | 1,637,312 |
| Chance alone | 103,848 | 1,609,223 |
| P (≥ found) | 5.2 × 10⁻⁸⁰ | 2.6 × 10⁻¹⁰⁸ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 151,668 | 598,240 |
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 7,477 against 6,700 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 6:13
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֱ־לֹהִ֜ים לְנֹ֗חַ קֵ֤ץ כָּל־בָּשָׂר֙ בָּ֣א לְפָנַ֔י כִּֽי־מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֛רֶץ חָמָ֖ס מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהִנְנִ֥י מַשְׁחִיתָ֖ם אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And God said unto Noah: ‘The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Short skip 50, forward from Numbers 30:3
אִישׁ֩ כִּֽי־יִדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר לַֽיקוָ֗ק אֽוֹ־הִשָּׁ֤בַע שְׁבֻעָה֙ לֶאְסֹ֤ר אִסָּר֙ עַל־נַפְשׁ֔וֹ לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
When a man voweth a vow unto the LORD, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
וְאִשָּׁ֕ה כִּֽי־תִדֹּ֥ר נֶ֖דֶר לַיקוָ֑ק וְאָסְרָ֥ה אִסָּ֛ר בְּבֵ֥ית אָבִ֖יהָ בִּנְעֻרֶֽיהָ׃
Also when a woman voweth a vow unto the LORD, and bindeth herself by a bond, being in her father’s house, in her youth,
וְשָׁמַ֨ע אָבִ֜יהָ אֶת־נִדְרָ֗הּ וֶֽאֱסָרָהּ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽסְרָ֣ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֔הּ וְהֶחֱרִ֥ישׁ לָ֖הּ אָבִ֑יהָ וְקָ֨מוּ֙ כָּל־נְדָרֶ֔יהָ וְכָל־אִסָּ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אָסְרָ֥ה עַל־נַפְשָׁ֖הּ יָקֽוּם׃
and her father heareth her vow, or her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father holdeth his peace at her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
Middle skip 502, backward from Leviticus 16:27
… הַֽחַטָּ֗את אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוּבָ֤א אֶת־דָּמָם֙ לְכַפֵּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֔דֶשׁ יוֹצִ֖יא אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה …
And the bullock of the sin-offering, and the goat of the sin-offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall be carried forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung.
וְיָצָ֗א אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִפְנֵֽי־יְקוָ֖ק וְכִפֶּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו וְלָקַ֞ח מִדַּ֤ם הַפָּר֙ וּמִדַּ֣ם הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְנָתַ֛ן עַל־קַרְנ֥וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃
And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
וְהִקְרִ֨יב אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־פַּ֤ר הַֽחַטָּאת֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּֽעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֣ד בֵּית֑וֹ וְשָׁחַ֛ט אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַֽחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־לֽוֹ׃
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin-offering which is for himself.
Wide skip 5,000, backward from Exodus 39:14
וְ֠הָאֲבָנִים עַל־שְׁמֹ֨ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל הֵ֛נָּה שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה עַל־שְׁמֹתָ֑ם פִּתּוּחֵ֤י חֹתָם֙ אִ֣ישׁ עַל־שְׁמ֔וֹ לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר שָֽׁבֶט׃
And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one according to his name, for the twelve tribes.
וַיַּ֕עַשׂ חֲמִשִּׁ֖ים קַרְסֵ֣י זָהָ֑ב וַיְחַבֵּ֨ר אֶת־הַיְרִעֹ֜ת אַחַ֤ת אֶל־אַחַת֙ בַּקְּרָסִ֔ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הַמִּשְׁכָּ֖ן אֶחָֽד׃
And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to another with the clasps; so the tabernacle was one.
… אָמַ֨רְתָּ֙ יְדַעְתִּ֣יךָֽ בְשֵׁ֔ם וְגַם־מָצָ֥אתָ חֵ֖ן בְּעֵינָֽי׃
And Moses said unto the LORD: ‘See, Thou sayest unto me: Bring up this people; and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said: I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in My sight.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Ezekiel 17:6
וַיִּצְמַ֡ח וַיְהִי֩ לְגֶ֨פֶן סֹרַ֜חַת שִׁפְלַ֣ת קוֹמָ֗ה לִפְנ֤וֹת דָּלִיּוֹתָיו֙ …
And it grew, and became a spreading vine Of low stature, Whose tendrils might turn toward him, And the roots thereof be under him; So it became a vine, and brought forth branches, And shot forth sprigs.
Middle skip 500, forward from 1 Samuel 28:1
וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם וַיִּקְבְּצ֨וּ פְלִשְׁתִּ֤ים אֶת־מַֽחֲנֵיהֶם֙ לַצָּבָ֔א לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל …
And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their hosts together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David: ‘Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me in the host, thou and thy men.’
… וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה לָ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר קסומיקָֽסֳמִי־נָ֥א לִי֙ בָּא֔וֹב וְהַ֣עֲלִי לִ֔י …
And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and went, he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said: ‘Divine unto me, I pray thee, by a ghost, and bring me up whomsoever I shall name unto thee.’
… וְלֹֽא־עָנָ֣נִי ע֗וֹד גַּ֤ם בְּיַֽד־הַנְּבִיאִם֙ גַּם־בַּ֣חֲלֹמ֔וֹת וָאֶקְרָאֶ֣ה לְךָ֔ לְהוֹדִיעֵ֖נִי מָ֥ה …
And Samuel said to Saul: ‘Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?’ And Saul answered: ‘I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams; therefore I have called thee…
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 12 | 12.3 |
| 11 to 100 | 144 | 123 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 1,335 | 1,222 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 5,986 | 5,343 |
| 5,001 to 152,424 | 102,523 | 97,148 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 1,491. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 1,491 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 0/100 | 1,358 | 1,248 to 1,473 |
| Words within each verse | 83/100 | 1,538 | 1,450 to 1,608 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 26,477 | 26,595 |
| Exodus | 23,814 | 21,642 |
| Leviticus | 15,496 | 15,260 |
| Numbers | 28,225 | 21,647 |
| Deuteronomy | 15,988 | 18,705 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 398,745 | 409,820 |
| Prophets | 677,958 | 744,472 |
| Writings | 560,609 | 454,932 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set פסח beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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