Sarah שרה
The only matriarch whose age the Torah gives. Her name also changes, and the old form שרי also spells princes.
- Found in the Torah
- 12,673,989
- Chance alone: 13,006,155
- Skips 2 to 152,424
- Found in the Tanakh
- 169,559,728
- Chance alone: 168,702,809
- Skips 2 to 598,520
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She lived a hundred and twenty-seven years, and the Torah counts them out twice in one verse, Genesis 23:1. No other matriarch has her years recorded. She too changes name at the covenant of Genesis 17, from שרי to שרה, a shift of one letter at the end. Both forms are harder to search than they look. שרי also spells the princes of, so most of its 150 bare cases are not hers at all. שרה itself is mostly Genesis, 28 of 30 bare cases. Isaiah 51:2 is the prophets' one memory of her: look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bore you. The last bare case is a verb, Hosea 12:4, on Jacob striving with God.
- As a whole word
- 30
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 17:15
- Last
- Hosea 12:4
The measurement
שרה and שרי behave like twins, 2.6 percent and 2.4 percent under the formula in the Torah and just over it in the Tanakh. They share ש and ר, and those two letters are driving both figures.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 12,673,989 | 169,559,728 |
| Chance alone | 13,006,155 | 168,702,809 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | below 10⁻³⁰⁰ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 152,374 | 598,471 |
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 828,217 against 839,130 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| שרה30 as a word | 12,673,989 chance 13,006,155 | 169,559,728 chance 168,702,809 |
| שרי150 as a word | 14,280,973 chance 14,629,201 | 229,151,624 chance 228,116,602 |
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 2:14
וְשֵׁ֨ם הַנָּהָ֤ר הַשְּׁלִישִׁי֙ חִדֶּ֔קֶל ה֥וּא הַֽהֹלֵ֖ךְ קִדְמַ֣ת אַשּׁ֑וּר וְהַנָּהָ֥ר הָֽרְבִיעִ֖י ה֥וּא פְרָֽת׃
And the name of the third river is Tigris; that is it which goeth toward the east of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 15:1
אַחַ֣ר הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה הָיָ֤ה דְבַר־יְקוָק֙ אֶל־אַבְרָ֔ם בַּֽמַּחֲזֶ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אַל־תִּירָ֣א אַבְרָ֗ם אָנֹכִי֙ מָגֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ שְׂכָרְךָ֖ הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield, thy reward shall be exceeding great.’
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 9:7
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֗ה לֹא־מֵ֛ת מִמִּקְנֵ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַד־אֶחָ֑ד וַיִּכְבַּד֙ לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃
And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְקוָק֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ קְח֤וּ לָכֶם֙ מְלֹ֣א חָפְנֵיכֶ֔ם פִּ֖יחַ כִּבְשָׁ֑ן וּזְרָק֥וֹ מֹשֶׁ֛ה הַשָּׁמַ֖יְמָה לְעֵינֵ֥י פַרְעֹֽה׃
And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron: ‘Take to you handfuls of soot of the furnace, and let Moses throw it heavenward in the sight of Pharaoh.
וְהָיָ֣ה לְאָבָ֔ק עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְהָיָ֨ה עַל־הָאָדָ֜ם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָ֗ה לִשְׁחִ֥ין פֹּרֵ֛חַ אֲבַעְבֻּעֹ֖ת בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.’
Middle skip 500, forward from Genesis 2:1
וַיְכֻלּ֛וּ הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ וְכָל־צְבָאָֽם׃
And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
וְנָהָרּ֙ יֹצֵ֣א מֵעֵ֔דֶן לְהַשְׁק֖וֹת אֶת־הַגָּ֑ן וּמִשָּׁם֙ יִפָּרֵ֔ד וְהָיָ֖ה לְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה רָאשִֽׁים׃
And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became four heads.
וַיַּפֵּל֩ יְקוָ֨ק אֱ־לֹהִ֧ים תַּרְדֵּמָ֛ה עַל־הָאָדָ֖ם וַיִּישָׁ֑ן וַיִּקַּ֗ח אַחַת֙ מִצַּלְעֹתָ֔יו וַיִּסְגֹּ֥ר בָּשָׂ֖ר תַּחְתֶּֽנָּה׃
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof.
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Genesis 5:31
וַֽיְהִי֙ כָּל־יְמֵי־לֶ֔מֶךְ שֶׁ֤בַע וְשִׁבְעִים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּשְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיָּמֹֽת׃
And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years; and he died.
וּבְנֵ֖י חָ֑ם כּ֥וּשׁ וּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּפ֥וּט וּכְנָֽעַן׃
And the sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, and Put, and Canaan.
… אֲחִ֤י אֶשְׁכֹּל֙ וַאֲחִ֣י עָנֵ֔ר וְהֵ֖ם בַּעֲלֵ֥י בְרִית־אַבְרָֽם׃
And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew—now he dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 1:10
וַיְצַ֣ו יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ אֶת־שֹׁטְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃
Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying:
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 1:12
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר כָּלֵ֔ב אֲשֶׁר־יַכֶּ֥ה אֶת־קִרְיַת־סֵ֖פֶר וּלְכָדָ֑הּ וְנָתַ֥תִּי ל֛וֹ אֶת־עַכְסָ֥ה בִתִּ֖י לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
And Caleb said: ‘He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.’
וְאֶת־הַיְבוּסִי֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֔ם לֹ֥א הוֹרִ֖ישׁוּ בְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֑ן וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב הַיְבוּסִ֜י אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י בִנְיָמִן֙ בִּיר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem, unto this day.
זְבוּלֻ֗ן לֹ֤א הוֹרִישׁ֙ אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י קִטְר֔וֹן וְאֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֖י נַהֲלֹ֑ל וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וַיִּֽהְי֖וּ לָמַֽס׃
Zebulun drove not out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the: inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributary.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 1,471 | 1,536 |
| 11 to 100 | 15,143 | 15,354 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 151,203 | 153,039 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 660,400 | 669,201 |
| 5,001 to 152,424 | 11,845,772 | 12,167,025 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 167,817. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 167,817 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 100/100 | 169,948 | 168,851 to 170,905 |
| Words within each verse | 29/100 | 167,632 | 166,755 to 168,493 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 2,999,553 | 3,330,745 |
| Exodus | 2,838,895 | 2,710,494 |
| Leviticus | 1,834,313 | 1,911,139 |
| Numbers | 2,833,020 | 2,711,091 |
| Deuteronomy | 2,168,208 | 2,342,686 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 45,951,983 | 42,963,448 |
| Prophets | 77,009,407 | 78,046,622 |
| Writings | 46,598,338 | 47,692,739 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set שרה beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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