Sinai סיני
The mountain of the Torah has two names. Deuteronomy all but drops the one everybody knows and speaks of Horeb.
- Found in the Torah
- 91,032
- Chance alone: 92,478
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 1,853,219
- Chance alone: 1,859,979
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers call it Sinai. Deuteronomy, telling the same events, calls it Horeb. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb, it says in Deuteronomy 5:2, and six verses of the book use that form of the name. Sinai itself occurs in Deuteronomy just once, in the poetry of 33:2. Why the two names exist is a very old question, and the traditional answer is that they are two names for one mountain. Sinai first stands bare in Exodus 16:1, as a landmark on the road, before the people ever reach the mountain. After the Torah the word nearly disappears: a verse of Judges, two of Psalms, one in Nehemiah. Few places matter so much and are mentioned so rarely.
- As a whole word
- 34
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 10:17
The measurement
The two shortest sequences stand in one phrase, מסעי בני ישראל, in Numbers 10:28 and Numbers 33:1. The families split here too: 2 letter shuffles in 100 reach the real 1,899, and 65 word shuffles do. If you only ran the first you would come away with a story, and this is why the bench offers both.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 91,032 | 1,853,219 |
| Chance alone | 92,478 | 1,859,979 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,410 | 398,877 |
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 9,238 against 8,875 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 Numbers 10:28
אֵ֛לֶּה מַסְעֵ֥י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְצִבְאֹתָ֑ם וַיִּסָּֽעוּ׃
Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their hosts.—And they set forward.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Numbers 33:1
אֵ֜לֶּה מַסְעֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָצְא֛וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לְצִבְאֹתָ֑ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃
These are the stages of the children of Israel, by which they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Short skip 50, forward from Leviticus 4:34
וְלָקַ֨ח הַכֹּהֵ֜ן מִדַּ֤ם הַֽחַטָּאת֙ בְּאֶצְבָּע֔וֹ וְנָתַ֕ן עַל־קַרְנֹ֖ת מִזְבַּ֣ח הָעֹלָ֑ה וְאֶת־כָּל־דָּמָ֣הּ יִשְׁפֹּ֔ךְ אֶל־יְס֖וֹד הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin-offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt-offering, and all the remaining blood thereof shall he pour out at the base of the altar.
… יוּסַ֥ר חֵֽלֶב־הַכֶּשֶׂב֮ מִזֶּ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֒ וְהִקְטִ֨יר הַכֹּהֵ֤ן אֹתָם֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה עַ֖ל אִשֵּׁ֣י יְקוָ֑ק וְכִפֶּ֨ר עָלָ֧יו הַכֹּהֵ֛ן עַל־חַטָּאת֥וֹ אֲשֶׁר־חָטָ֖א וְנִסְלַ֥ח לֽוֹ׃
And all the fat thereof shall he take away, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall make them smoke on the altar, upon the offerings of the LORD made by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned…
וְנֶ֣פֶשׁ כִּֽי־תֶחֱטָ֗א וְשָֽׁמְעָה֙ ק֣וֹל אָלָ֔ה וְה֣וּא עֵ֔ד א֥וֹ רָאָ֖ה א֣וֹ יָדָ֑ע אִם־ל֥וֹא יַגִּ֖יד וְנָשָׂ֥א עֲוֺנֽוֹ׃
And if any one sin, in that he heareth the voice of adjuration, he being a witness, whether he hath seen or known, if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity;
Middle skip 503, backward from Deuteronomy 6:16
לֹ֣א תְנַסּ֔וּ אֶת־יְקוָ֖ק אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶ֑ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר נִסִּיתֶ֖ם בַּמַּסָּֽה׃
Ye shall not try the LORD your God, as ye tried Him in Massah.
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
מִֽי־יִתֵּ֡ן וְהָיָה֩ לְבָבָ֨ם זֶ֜ה לָהֶ֗ם לְיִרְאָ֥ה אֹתִ֛י וְלִשְׁמֹ֥ר אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתַ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִ֑ים לְמַ֨עַן יִיטַ֥ב לָהֶ֛ם וְלִבְנֵיהֶ֖ם לְעֹלָֽם׃
Oh that they had such a heart as this alway, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
… יָסָ֑ף וַֽיִּכְתְּבֵ֗ם עַל־שְׁנֵי֙ לֻחֹ֣ת אֲבָנִ֔ים וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖ם אֵלָֽי׃
These words the LORD spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice, and it went on no more. And He wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto me.
Wide skip 5,004, backward from Genesis 47:15
וַיִּתֹּ֣ם הַכֶּ֗סֶף מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֮ וּמֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַעַן֒ …
And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said: ‘Give us bread; for why should we die in thy presence? for our money faileth.’
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף מָֽה־הַמַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם הֲל֣וֹא יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם כִּֽי־נַחֵ֧שׁ יְנַחֵ֛שׁ אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּמֹֽנִי׃
And Joseph said unto them: ‘What deed is this that ye have done? know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?’
וְאֵ֛ת שֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י קָרָ֣א אֶפְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־הִפְרַ֥נִי אֱ־לֹהִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥רֶץ עָנְיִֽי׃
And the name of the second called he Ephraim: ‘for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.’
וַיִּמְצָ֨א יוֹסֵ֥ף חֵ֛ן בְּעֵינָ֖יו וַיְשָׁ֣רֶת אֹת֑וֹ וַיַּפְקִדֵ֨הוּ֙ עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ וְכָל־יֶשׁ־ל֖וֹ נָתַ֥ן בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
And Joseph found favour in his sight, and he ministered unto him. And he appointed him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, backward from Job 31:35
Middle skip 500, forward from Judges 19:19
וְגַם־תֶּ֤בֶן גַּם־מִסְפּוֹא֙ יֵ֣שׁ לַחֲמוֹרֵ֔ינוּ וְ֠גַם לֶ֣חֶם וָיַ֤יִן יֶשׁ־לִי֙ וְלַֽאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְלַנַּ֖עַר עִם־עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ אֵ֥ין מַחְס֖וֹר כָּל־דָּבָֽר׃
Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man that is with thy servants; there is no want of any thing.’
… הַח֑וּץ וַיֵּדְע֣וּ א֠וֹתָהּ וַיִּֽתְעַלְּלוּ־בָ֤הּ כָּל־הַלַּ֨יְלָה֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֖וּהָ בעלותכַּעֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃
But the men would not hearken to him; so the man laid hold on his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning; and when the day began to spring, they let her go.
וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י בִנְיָמִ֔ן כִּֽי־עָל֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל הַמִּצְפָּ֑ה וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל דַּבְּר֕וּ אֵיכָ֥ה נִהְיְתָ֖ה הָרָעָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃
Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel were gone up to Mizpah.—And the children of Israel said: ‘Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?’
וַֽיִּשְׁלְח֞וּ שִׁבְטֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲנָשִׁ֔ים בְּכָל־שִׁבְטֵ֥י בִנְיָמִ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר מָ֚ה הָרָעָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִהְיְתָ֖ה בָּכֶֽם׃
And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying: ‘What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you?
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 14 | 16.4 |
| 11 to 100 | 176 | 164 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 1,709 | 1,629 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 7,339 | 7,066 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 81,794 | 83,603 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 1,899. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 1,899 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 2/100 | 1,809 | 1,688 to 1,916 |
| Words within each verse | 65/100 | 1,911 | 1,808 to 1,997 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 24,334 | 23,683 |
| Exodus | 18,635 | 19,273 |
| Leviticus | 11,212 | 13,589 |
| Numbers | 23,197 | 19,277 |
| Deuteronomy | 13,654 | 16,657 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 407,298 | 473,680 |
| Prophets | 790,595 | 860,478 |
| Writings | 655,326 | 525,821 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set סיני beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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