Rebecca רבקה
All of Rebecca's 30 appearances are in Genesis. She is the first person in the Torah said to go and inquire of the Lord.
- Found in the Torah
- 145,175
- Chance alone: 139,959
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 1,675,647
- Chance alone: 1,713,830
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Unlike the other matriarchs, Rebecca is confined to one book. Every appearance of her name is in Genesis, from the genealogy in 22:23, where she is mentioned before anyone needs her, to the burial list in 49:31. No prophet recalls her by name. What she does in those chapters is unusual for how much she decides. She agrees to go with Abraham's servant when her family hesitates. When the children struggle within her she goes to inquire of the Lord herself, in Genesis 25:22, and nobody in the Torah has been said to do that before her. And she arranges for Jacob's blessing.
- As a whole word
- 22
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 22:23
- Last
- Genesis 49:31
The measurement
Her name stands in one book of the Tanakh, and its sequences start in all five books of the Torah: 40,039 in Genesis and 30,141 in Exodus, where she never appears. A sequence does not know where a name belongs.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 145,175 | 1,675,647 |
| Chance alone | 139,959 | 1,713,830 |
| P (≥ found) | 5.9 × 10⁻⁴⁴ | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 3 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,195 | 398,816 |
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 13,475 against 13,432 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 3, backward from Genesis 47:17
… לֶ֜חֶם בַּסּוּסִ֗ים וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַצֹּ֛אן וּבְמִקְנֵ֥ה הַבָּקָ֖ר וּבַחֲמֹרִ֑ים וַיְנַהֲלֵ֤ם בַּלֶּ֨חֶם֙ בְּכָל־מִקְנֵהֶ֔ם בַּשָּׁנָ֖ה …
And they brought their cattle unto Joseph. And Joseph gave them bread in exchange for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses; and he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
Shortest skip 3, backward from Leviticus 16:6
וְהִקְרִ֧יב אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־פַּ֥ר הַחַטָּ֖את אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ וְכִפֶּ֥ר בַּעֲד֖וֹ וּבְעַ֥ד בֵּיתֽוֹ׃
And Aaron shall present the bullock of the sin-offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself, and for his house.
וּמֵאֵ֗ת עֲדַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יִקַּ֛ח שְׁנֵֽי־שְׂעִירֵ֥י עִזִּ֖ים לְחַטָּ֑את וְאַ֥יִל אֶחָ֖ד לְעֹלָֽה׃
And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two he-goats for a sin-offering, and one ram for a burnt-offering.
Short skip 50, forward from Numbers 7:15
פַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה׃
one young bullock, one ram, one he-lamb of the first year, for a burnt-offering;
וּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֮ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַיִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתּוּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קָרְבַּ֥ן נַחְשׁ֖וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּינָדָֽב׃
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 Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
הִקְרִ֨ב אֶת־קָרְבָּנ֜וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים …
he presented for his offering one silver dish, the weight thereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, one silver basin of seventy shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary; both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering;
Middle skip 500, backward from Exodus 27:21
… לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹ֣רֹתָ֔ם מֵאֵ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
In the tent of meeting, without the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall set it in order, to burn from evening to morning before the LORD; it shall be a statute for ever throughout their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
וְרֹ֤חַב הֶֽחָצֵר֙ לִפְאַת־יָ֔ם קְלָעִ֖ים חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים אַמָּ֑ה עַמֻּדֵיהֶ֣ם עֲשָׂרָ֔ה וְאַדְנֵיהֶ֖ם עֲשָׂרָֽה׃
And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ קַרְנֹתָ֗יו עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פִּנֹּתָ֔יו מִמֶּ֖נּוּ תִּהְיֶ֣יןָ קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹת֖וֹ נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃
And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof; the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it; and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
וַהֲקֵמֹתָ֖ אֶת־הַמִּשְׁכָּ֑ן כְּמִ֨שְׁפָּט֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָרְאֵ֖יתָ בָּהָֽר׃
And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mount.
Wide skip 5,008, backward from Deuteronomy 4:36
מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם הִשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥ אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ לְיַסְּרֶ֑ךָּ וְעַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ הֶרְאֲךָ֙ אֶת־אִשּׁ֣וֹ הַגְּדוֹלָ֔ה וּדְבָרָ֥יו שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃
Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire; and thou didst hear His words out of the midst of the fire.
וְהָֽעַוִּ֛ים הַיֹּשְׁבִ֥ים בַּחֲצֵרִ֖ים עַד־עַזָּ֑ה כַּפְתֹּרִים֙ הַיֹּצְאִ֣ים מִכַּפְתּ֔וֹר הִשְׁמִידֻ֖ם וַיֵּשְׁב֥וּ תַחְתָּֽם׃
and the Avvim, that dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.—
וּמָצָ֤א אֹתוֹ֙ גֹּאֵ֣ל הַדָּ֔ם מִח֕וּץ לִגְב֖וּל עִ֣יר מִקְלָט֑וֹ וְרָצַ֞ח גֹּאֵ֤ל הַדָּם֙ אֶת־הָ֣רֹצֵ֔חַ אֵ֥ין ל֖וֹ דָּֽם׃
and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him;
נַ֣חְנוּ נַעֲבֹ֧ר חֲלוּצִ֛ים לִפְנֵ֥י יְקוָ֖ק אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְאִתָּ֨נוּ֙ אֲחֻזַּ֣ת נַחֲלָתֵ֔נוּ מֵעֵ֖בֶר לַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃
We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, and the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us beyond the Jordan.’
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 10:16
וַיָּנֻ֕סוּ חֲמֵ֖שֶׁת הַמְּלָכִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיֵּחָבְא֥וּ בַמְּעָרָ֖ה בְּמַקֵּדָֽה׃
And these five kings fled, and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah.
Middle skip 500, forward from Joel 1:17
עָבְשׁ֣וּ פְרֻד֗וֹת תַּ֚חַת מֶגְרְפֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם נָשַׁ֨מּוּ֙ אֹֽצָר֔וֹת נֶהֶרְס֖וּ מַמְּגֻר֑וֹת כִּ֥י הֹבִ֖ישׁ דָּגָֽן׃
The grains shrivel under their hoes; The garners are laid desolate, The barns are broken down; For the corn is withered.
כְּגִבּוֹרִ֣ים יְרֻצ֔וּן כְּאַנְשֵׁ֥י מִלְחָמָ֖ה יַעֲל֣וּ חוֹמָ֑ה וְאִ֤ישׁ בִּדְרָכָיו֙ יֵֽלֵכ֔וּן וְלֹ֥א יְעַבְּט֖וּן אֹרְחוֹתָֽם׃
They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; And they move on every one in his ways, And they entangle not their paths.
אִסְפוּ־עָ֞ם קַדְּשׁ֤וּ קָהָל֙ קִבְצ֣וּ זְקֵנִ֔ים אִסְפוּ֙ עֽוֹלָלִ֔ים וְיֹנְקֵ֖י שָׁדָ֑יִם יֵצֵ֤א חָתָן֙ מֵֽחֶדְר֔וֹ וְכַלָּ֖ה מֵחֻפָּתָֽהּ׃
Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children, And those that suck the breasts; Let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, And the bride out of her pavilion.
וּמָלְא֥וּ הַגֳּרָנ֖וֹת בָּ֑ר וְהֵשִׁ֥יקוּ הַיְקָבִ֖ים תִּיר֥וֹשׁ וְיִצְהָֽר׃
And the floors shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 33 | 24.8 |
| 11 to 100 | 235 | 248 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 2,469 | 2,466 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 10,738 | 10,694 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 131,700 | 126,527 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 2,737. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 2,737 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 49/100 | 2,736 | 2,609 to 2,831 |
| Words within each verse | 26/100 | 2,694 | 2,537 to 2,823 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 40,039 | 35,842 |
| Exodus | 30,141 | 29,168 |
| Leviticus | 19,684 | 20,566 |
| Numbers | 28,112 | 29,174 |
| Deuteronomy | 27,199 | 25,210 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 454,077 | 436,460 |
| Prophets | 782,769 | 792,865 |
| Writings | 438,801 | 484,504 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set רבקה beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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