Saul שאול
The first king's name, spelled שאול, is written the same way as Sheol, the place of the dead. Most of the Tanakh's cases are his.
- Found in the Torah
- 961,876
- Chance alone: 996,842
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 14,985,284
- Chance alone: 14,825,212
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Israel's first king has the same four letters as the word for the grave. Jacob says he will go down to שאלה mourning for Joseph, in Genesis 37:35, and Psalms and Job use שאול for the world of the dead, in a plain sense with no sign of the king. The two words have nothing to do with each other in meaning. One means asked for, the other is of unknown origin. But the king who sought a dead prophet's ghost at En-dor in 1 Samuel 28 was a Saul who ended in Sheol, and no ancient reader could have missed the sound. There is also an older Saul, a king of Edom in Genesis 36:37. This count includes all three, and the verb too.
- As a whole word
- 394
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 36:37
The measurement
The letters stand 394 times as a word, for a king, a grave and a verb. At a skip they make 961,876 sequences in the Torah, 3.5 percent under the formula, and skips 2 to 10 hold 219 against 176.6. Those are the same letters, whatever the word was doing.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 961,876 | 14,985,284 |
| Chance alone | 996,842 | 14,825,212 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | below 10⁻³⁰⁰ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,546 | 398,884 |
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 93,215 against 95,668 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 14:17
וַיֵּצֵ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹם֮ לִקְרָאתוֹ֒ אַחֲרֵ֣י שׁוּב֗וֹ מֵֽהַכּוֹת֙ אֶת־כְּדָרלָעֹ֔מֶר וְאֶת־הַמְּלָכִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ אֶל־עֵ֣מֶק שָׁוֵ֔ה ה֖וּא עֵ֥מֶק הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
And the king of Sodom went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh—the same is the King’s Vale.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Genesis 15:17
וַיְהִ֤י הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ֙ בָּ֔אָה וַעֲלָטָ֖ה הָיָ֑ה וְהִנֵּ֨ה תַנּ֤וּר עָשָׁן֙ וְלַפִּ֣יד אֵ֔שׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָבַ֔ר בֵּ֖ין הַגְּזָרִ֥ים הָאֵֽלֶּה׃
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between these pieces.
Short skip 50, forward from Exodus 22:3
אִֽם־הִמָּצֵא֩ תִמָּצֵ֨א בְיָד֜וֹ הַגְּנֵבָ֗ה מִשּׁ֧וֹר עַד־חֲמ֛וֹר עַד־שֶׂ֖ה חַיִּ֑ים שְׁנַ֖יִם יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃
If the theft be found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall pay double.
כִּ֤י יַבְעֶר־אִישׁ֙ שָׂדֶ֣ה אוֹ־כֶ֔רֶם וְשִׁלַּח֙ אֶת־בעירהבְּעִיר֔וֹ וּבִעֵ֖ר בִּשְׂדֵ֣ה אַחֵ֑ר מֵיטַ֥ב שָׂדֵ֛הוּ וּמֵיטַ֥ב כַּרְמ֖וֹ יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃
If a man cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֨א אֵ֜שׁ וּמָצְאָ֤ה קֹצִים֙ וְנֶאֱכַ֣ל גָּדִ֔ישׁ א֥וֹ הַקָּמָ֖ה א֣וֹ הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה שַׁלֵּ֣ם יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם הַמַּבְעִ֖ר אֶת־הַבְּעֵרָֽה׃
If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the shocks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field are consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
כִּֽי־יִתֵּן֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֜הוּ כֶּ֤סֶף אֽוֹ־כֵלִים֙ לִשְׁמֹ֔ר וְגֻנַּ֖ב מִבֵּ֣ית הָאִ֑ישׁ אִם־יִמָּצֵ֥א הַגַּנָּ֖ב יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם שְׁנָֽיִם׃
If a man deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be found, he shall pay double.
Middle skip 500, forward from Leviticus 11:44
כִּ֣י אֲנִ֣י יְקוָק֮ אֱ־לֹֽהֵיכֶם֒ וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָ֑נִי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמְּאוּ֙ אֶת־נַפְשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם בְּכָל־הַשֶּׁ֖רֶץ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
For I am the LORD your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy; neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of swarming thing that moveth upon the earth.
וּבִמְלֹ֣את יְמֵ֣י טָהֳרָ֗הּ לְבֵן֮ א֣וֹ לְבַת֒ תָּבִ֞יא כֶּ֤בֶשׂ בֶּן־שְׁנָתוֹ֙ לְעֹלָ֔ה וּבֶן־יוֹנָ֥ה אוֹ־תֹ֖ר לְחַטָּ֑את אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
And when the days of her purification are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove, for a sin-offering, unto the door of the tent of meeting, unto the priest.
וְרָאָה֩ הַכֹּהֵ֨ן אֹת֜וֹ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי֮ שֵׁנִית֒ וְהִנֵּה֙ …
And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and, behold, if the plague be dim, and the plague be not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a scab; and he shall wash his clothes, and be clean.
א֣וֹ כִ֥י יָשׁ֛וּב הַבָּשָׂ֥ר הַחַ֖י וְנֶהְפַּ֣ךְ לְלָבָ֑ן וּבָ֖א אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
But if the raw flesh again be turned into white, then he shall come unto the priest;
Wide skip 5,000, forward from Numbers 15:28
וְכִפֶּ֣ר הַכֹּהֵ֗ן עַל־הַנֶּ֧פֶשׁ הַשֹּׁגֶ֛גֶת בְּחֶטְאָ֥ה בִשְׁגָגָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק לְכַפֵּ֥ר עָלָ֖יו וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ׃
And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that erreth, when he sinneth through error, before the LORD, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven,
… בְּכ֣וֹר הָֽאָדָ֔ם וְאֵ֛ת בְּכֽוֹר־הַבְּהֵמָ֥ה הַטְּמֵאָ֖ה תִּפְדֶּֽה׃
Every thing that openeth the womb, of all flesh which they offer unto the LORD, both of man and beast, shall be thine; howbeit the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.
וְלֹא־נָתַ֨ן סִיחֹ֣ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻלוֹ֒ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֨ף סִיחֹ֜ן אֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֞א לִקְרַ֤את יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַמִּדְבָּ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖א יָ֑הְצָה וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel.
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר בִּלְעָ֖ם אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א גַּ֧ם אֶל־מַלְאָכֶ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֥חְתָּ אֵלַ֖י דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי לֵאמֹֽר׃
And Balaam said unto Balak: ‘Spoke I not also to thy messengers that thou didst send unto me, saying:
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Joshua 3:1
וַיַּשְׁכֵּם֩ יְהוֹשֻׁ֨עַ בַּבֹּ֜קֶר וַיִּסְע֣וּ מֵֽהַשִּׁטִּ֗ים וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ עַד־הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן ה֖וּא וְכָל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּלִ֥נוּ שָׁ֖ם טֶ֥רֶם יַעֲבֹֽרוּ׃
And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and they removed from Shittim, and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel; and they lodged there before they passed over.
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 8:26
… מִן־הַשַּׂהֲרֹנִ֨ים וְהַנְּטִפ֜וֹת וּבִגְדֵ֣י הָאַרְגָּמָ֗ן שֶׁעַל֙ מַלְכֵ֣י מִדְיָ֔ן וּלְבַד֙ מִן־הָ֣עֲנָק֔וֹת …
And the weight of the golden ear-rings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.
וְלֹֽא־עָשׂ֣וּ חֶ֔סֶד עִם־בֵּ֥ית יְרֻבַּ֖עַל גִּדְע֑וֹן כְּכָל־הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shown unto Israel.
… שִׁמְע֤וּ אֵלַי֙ בַּעֲלֵ֣י שְׁכֶ֔ם וְיִשְׁמַ֥ע אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם אֱ־לֹהִֽים׃
And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them: ‘Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
אֲשֶׁר־נִלְחַ֥ם אָבִ֖י עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם וַיַּשְׁלֵ֤ךְ אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ֙ מִנֶּ֔גֶד וַיַּצֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִיַּ֥ד מִדְיָֽן׃
for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 219 | 177 |
| 11 to 100 | 1,706 | 1,765 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 17,364 | 17,563 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 73,926 | 76,164 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 868,661 | 901,174 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 19,289. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 19,289 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 92/100 | 19,523 | 19,159 to 19,800 |
| Words within each verse | 18/100 | 19,178 | 18,868 to 19,516 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 236,996 | 255,281 |
| Exodus | 216,523 | 207,743 |
| Leviticus | 136,372 | 146,477 |
| Numbers | 212,975 | 207,788 |
| Deuteronomy | 159,010 | 179,553 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 4,258,984 | 3,775,528 |
| Prophets | 6,937,611 | 6,858,556 |
| Writings | 3,788,689 | 4,191,127 |
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Change the skips, set שאול beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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