Rachel רחל
Her name means ewe. She is the one matriarch not buried with the others, and Jeremiah has her weeping by the road.
- Found in the Torah
- 4,806,407
- Chance alone: 4,609,692
- Skips 2 to 152,424
- Found in the Tanakh
- 67,603,638
- Chance alone: 69,282,581
- Skips 2 to 598,520
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A רחל is a ewe; Genesis 31:38 uses the plural in Jacob's complaint to Laban, and Isaiah 53:7 has the single animal silent before its shearers. Rachel the woman is a shepherd in Genesis 29:9, the first time she appears. She dies on the road, giving birth, and Genesis 35:19 buries her on the way to Ephrath, apart from the family tomb where Genesis 49:31 lists all the others. That road is what gives her a place in Jeremiah. A voice is heard in Ramah, Jeremiah 31:15 says, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted. Outside Genesis her name stands only there, in the blessing of Ruth 4:11 and in a brief note at 1 Samuel 10:2.
- As a whole word
- 32
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 29:6
- Last
- Ruth 4:11
The measurement
Over all skips the name runs 4.3 percent above the formula. In the shorter skips it stands below every letter shuffle. Both statements are correct, and together they show why a single figure for a term is never enough.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 4,806,407 | 67,603,638 |
| Chance alone | 4,609,692 | 69,282,581 |
| P (≥ found) | below 10⁻³⁰⁰ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 152,424 | 598,487 |
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 293,887 against 297,408 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 1:2
וְהָאָ֗רֶץ הָיְתָ֥ה תֹ֨הוּ֙ וָבֹ֔הוּ וְחֹ֖שֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י תְה֑וֹם וְר֣וּחַ אֱ־לֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם׃
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 8:1
וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱ־לֹהִים֙ אֶת־נֹ֔חַ וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הַֽחַיָּה֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר אִתּ֖וֹ בַּתֵּבָ֑ה וַיַּעֲבֵ֨ר אֱ־לֹהִ֥ים ר֨וּחַ֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיָּשֹׁ֖כּוּ הַמָּֽיִם׃
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged;
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 18:10
וַיֹּאמֶר֮ יִתְרוֹ֒ בָּר֣וּךְ יְקוָ֔ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִצִּ֥יל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִיַּ֥ד מִצְרַ֖יִם וּמִיַּ֣ד פַּרְעֹ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִצִּיל֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת יַד־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And Jethro said: ‘Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
וַיִּקַּ֞ח יִתְר֨וֹ חֹתֵ֥ן מֹשֶׁ֛ה עֹלָ֥ה וּזְבָחִ֖ים לֵֽא־לֹהִ֑ים וַיָּבֹ֨א אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְכֹ֣ל זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֶאֱכָל־לֶ֛חֶם עִם־חֹתֵ֥ן מֹשֶׁ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הָאֱ־לֹהִֽים׃
And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 3:5
וְהִקְטִ֨ירוּ אֹת֤וֹ בְנֵֽי־אַהֲרֹן֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עַל־הָ֣עֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הָעֵצִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־הָאֵ֑שׁ אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַֽיקוָֽק׃
And Aaron’s sons shall make it smoke on the altar upon the burnt-offering, which is upon the wood that is on the fire; it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.
וְאֵת֙ שְׁתֵּ֣י הַכְּלָיֹ֔ת וְאֶת־הַחֵ֨לֶב֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲלֵהֶ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־הַכְּסָלִ֑ים וְאֶת־הַיֹּתֶ֨רֶת֙ עַל־הַכָּבֵ֔ד עַל־הַכְּלָיֹ֖ת יְסִירֶֽנָּה׃
and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the loins, and the lobe above the liver, which he shall take away by the kidneys.
… וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־דַּ֣ם הַפָּ֗ר יִשְׁפֹּךְ֙ אֶל־יְסוֹד֙ מִזְבַּ֣ח הָעֹלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל …
And the priest shall put of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tent of meeting; and all the remaining blood of the bullock shall he pour out at the base of the altar of burnt-offering, which is at the door of the tent of meeting.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Numbers 5:8
וְאִם־אֵ֨ין לָאִ֜ישׁ גֹּאֵ֗ל לְהָשִׁ֤יב הָאָשָׁם֙ אֵלָ֔יו הָאָשָׁ֛ם הַמּוּשָׁ֥ב לַיקוָ֖ק לַכֹּהֵ֑ן מִלְּבַ֗ד אֵ֚יל הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְכַפֶּר־בּ֖וֹ עָלָֽיו׃
But if the man have no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made shall be the LORD’S, even the priest’s; besides the ram of the atonement, whereby atonement shall be made for him.
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַיִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קָרְבַּ֥ן אֱלִישָׁמָ֖ע בֶּן־עַמִּיהֽוּד׃
and for the sacrifice of peace-offerings, two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, five he-lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.
וַיְהִ֞י בַּשָּׁנָ֧ה הַשֵּׁנִ֛ית בַּחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִ֖י בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים בַּחֹ֑דֶשׁ נַעֲלָה֙ הֶֽעָנָ֔ן מֵעַ֖ל מִשְׁכַּ֥ן הָעֵדֻֽת׃
And it came to pass in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, that the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the testimony.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 2:2
וַיֵּ֣אָמַ֔ר לְמֶ֥לֶךְ יְרִיח֖וֹ לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֣ה אֲ֠נָשִׁים בָּ֣אוּ הֵ֧נָּה הַלַּ֛יְלָה מִבְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַחְפֹּ֥ר אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying: ‘Behold, there came men in hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the land.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 7:3
… מֵהַ֣ר הַגִּלְעָ֑ד וַיָּ֣שָׁב מִן־הָעָ֗ם עֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּשְׁנַ֨יִם֙ אֶ֔לֶף וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת אֲלָפִ֖ים …
Now therefore make proclamation in the ears of the people, saying: Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead.’ And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּלַּ֣יְלָה הַה֔וּא וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ יְקוָ֔ק ק֖וּם רֵ֣ד בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה כִּ֥י נְתַתִּ֖יו בְּיָדֶֽךָ׃
And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him: ‘Arise, get thee down upon the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand.
וַיַּ֛חַץ אֶת־שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת הָאִ֖ישׁ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה רָאשִׁ֑ים וַיִּתֵּ֨ן שׁוֹפָר֤וֹת בְּיַד־כֻּלָּם֙ וְכַדִּ֣ים רֵקִ֔ים וְלַפִּדִ֖ים בְּת֥וֹךְ הַכַּדִּֽים׃
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them horns, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 471 | 544 |
| 11 to 100 | 5,153 | 5,442 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 52,949 | 54,241 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 235,314 | 237,181 |
| 5,001 to 152,424 | 4,512,520 | 4,312,284 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 58,573. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 58,573 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 100/100 | 60,262 | 59,642 to 60,739 |
| Words within each verse | 62/100 | 58,643 | 58,074 to 59,180 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 1,261,498 | 1,180,495 |
| Exodus | 990,573 | 960,664 |
| Leviticus | 676,105 | 677,353 |
| Numbers | 995,306 | 960,875 |
| Deuteronomy | 882,925 | 830,304 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 17,954,555 | 17,644,155 |
| Prophets | 30,869,130 | 32,052,053 |
| Writings | 18,779,953 | 19,586,372 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set רחל beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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