Sukkot סכות
Before it was a festival, Sukkot was a place: Jacob built booths there, and it was Israel's first stop out of Egypt.
- Found in the Torah
- 39,952
- Chance alone: 43,123
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 715,367
- Chance alone: 690,632
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Jacob parts from Esau and builds booths for his cattle, and Genesis 33:17 says that this is why the place is called Sukkot. The same name turns up in Exodus 12:37 as Israel's first camp out of Rameses, and a town in the Jordan valley carries it in Judges 8. So the word was on the map before it was in the calendar. Leviticus 23:34 makes it a festival and verse 42 gives the reason. The Torah writes the name both with and without the ו: Genesis 33:17 has one of each in a single verse. That verse is good to read before searching, because it shows that the spelling you pick is a choice, and you should say which one you picked.
- As a whole word
- 17
- First, with any prefix
- Genesis 33:17
The measurement
Both spellings fall short in the Torah, the long one by 7.4 percent and the short one by 5.6 percent, and both go over in the Tanakh. The formula only knows letter totals, so any gap like this is about where those letters happen to stand.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 39,952 | 715,367 |
| Chance alone | 43,123 | 690,632 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.1 × 10⁻¹⁹² |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 100,532 | 398,113 |
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 3,954 against 4,139 by chance. How these figures are made.
Other spellings
Each spelling is its own search. Every skip, both directions.
| Spelling | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| סכות17 as a word | 39,952 chance 43,123 | 715,367 chance 690,632 |
| סכת3 as a word | 609,719 chance 645,838 | 9,874,205 chance 9,568,122 |
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 Deuteronomy 28:48
… בָּ֔ךְ בְּרָעָ֧ב וּבְצָמָ֛א וּבְעֵירֹ֖ם וּבְחֹ֣סֶר כֹּ֑ל וְנָתַ֞ן עֹ֤ל בַּרְזֶל֙ עַל־צַוָּארֶ֔ךָ עַ֥ד …
therefore shalt thou serve thine enemy whom the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things; and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.
Short skip 50, backward from Genesis 45:4
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֧ף אֶל־אֶחָ֛יו גְּשׁוּ־נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַיִּגָּ֑שׁוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִי֙ יוֹסֵ֣ף אֲחִיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃
And Joseph said unto his brethren: ‘Come near to me, I pray you.’ And they came near. And he said: ‘I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֤ף אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֲנִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֤וּ אֶחָיו֙ לַעֲנ֣וֹת אֹת֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִבְהֲל֖וּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
And Joseph said unto his brethren: ‘I am Joseph; doth my father yet live?’ And his brethren could not answer him; for they were affrighted at his presence.
וְלֹֽא־יָכֹ֨ל יוֹסֵ֜ף לְהִתְאַפֵּ֗ק לְכֹ֤ל הַנִּצָּבִים֙ עָלָ֔יו וַיִּקְרָ֕א הוֹצִ֥יאוּ כָל־אִ֖ישׁ מֵעָלָ֑י וְלֹא־עָ֤מַד אִישׁ֙ אִתּ֔וֹ בְּהִתְוַדַּ֥ע יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָֽיו׃
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried: ‘Cause every man to go out from me.’ And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
Middle skip 502, backward from Leviticus 13:56
… וְהִנֵּה֙ כֵּהָ֣ה הַנֶּ֔גַע אַחֲרֵ֖י הֻכַּבֵּ֣ס אֹת֑וֹ וְקָרַ֣ע אֹת֗וֹ מִן־הַבֶּ֨גֶד֙ …
And if the priest look, and, behold, the plague be dim after the washing thereof, then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof.
א֤וֹ בִֽשְׁתִי֙ א֣וֹ בְעֵ֔רֶב לַפִּשְׁתִּ֖ים וְלַצָּ֑מֶר א֣וֹ בְע֔וֹר א֖וֹ בְּכָל־מְלֶ֥אכֶת עֽוֹר׃
or in the warp, or in the woof, whether they be of linen, or of wool; or in a skin, or in any thing made of skin.
וְאִם־בְּעֵינָיו֩ עָמַ֨ד הַנֶּ֜תֶק וְשֵׂעָ֨ר שָׁחֹ֧ר צָֽמַח־בּ֛וֹ נִרְפָּ֥א הַנֶּ֖תֶק טָה֣וֹר ה֑וּא וְטִהֲר֖וֹ הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
But if the scall stay in its appearance, and black hair be grown up therein; the scall is healed, he is clean; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
וְאִם־תַּחְתֶּיהָ֩ תַעֲמֹ֨ד הַבַּהֶ֜רֶת לֹא־פָשְׂתָ֤ה בָעוֹר֙ וְהִ֣וא כֵהָ֔ה שְׂאֵ֥ת הַמִּכְוָ֖ה הִ֑וא וְטִֽהֲרוֹ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן כִּֽי־צָרֶ֥בֶת הַמִּכְוָ֖ה הִֽוא׃
And if the bright spot stay in its place, and be not spread in the skin, but be dim, it is the rising of the burning, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; for it is the scar of the burning.
Wide skip 5,000, backward from Exodus 38:17
וְהָאֲדָנִ֣ים לָֽעַמֻּדִים֮ נְחֹשֶׁת֒ וָוֵ֨י הָֽעַמּוּדִ֜ים וַחֲשׁוּקֵיהֶם֙ כֶּ֔סֶף וְצִפּ֥וּי רָאשֵׁיהֶ֖ם כָּ֑סֶף וְהֵם֙ מְחֻשָּׁקִ֣ים כֶּ֔סֶף כֹּ֖ל עַמֻּדֵ֥י הֶחָצֵֽר׃
And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their capitals of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
… וְטַבַּ֤עַת וְכוּמָז֙ כָּל־כְּלִ֣י זָהָ֔ב וְכָל־אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵנִ֛יף תְּנוּפַ֥ת זָהָ֖ב …
And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and brought nose-rings, and ear-rings, and signet-rings, and girdles, all jewels of gold; even every man that brought an offering of gold unto the LORD.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֔ן מֶֽה־עָשָׂ֥ה לְךָ֖ הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֑ה כִּֽי־הֵבֵ֥אתָ עָלָ֖יו חֲטָאָ֥ה גְדֹלָֽה׃
And Moses said unto Aaron: ‘What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sin upon them?’
וְלָקַחְתָּ֣ אֶת־הֶֽחָזֶ֗ה מֵאֵ֤יל הַמִּלֻּאִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לְאַהֲרֹ֔ן וְהֵנַפְתָּ֥ אֹת֛וֹ תְּנוּפָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק וְהָיָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לְמָנָֽה׃
And thou shalt take the breast of Aaron’s ram of consecration, and wave it for a wave-offering before the LORD; and it shall be thy portion.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Ezekiel 28:14
אַ֨תְּ־כְּר֔וּב מִמְשַׁ֖ח הַסּוֹכֵ֑ךְ וּנְתַתִּ֗יךָ בְּהַ֨ר קֹ֤דֶשׁ אֱ־לֹהִים֙ הָיִ֔יתָ בְּת֥וֹךְ אַבְנֵי־אֵ֖שׁ הִתְהַלָּֽכְתָּ׃
Thou wast the far-covering cherub; and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of stones of fire.
Middle skip 503, forward from Joshua 20:3
לָנ֥וּס שָׁ֨מָּה֙ רוֹצֵ֔חַ מַכֵּה־נֶ֥פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֖ה בִּבְלִי־דָ֑עַת וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ לְמִקְלָ֔ט מִגֹּאֵ֖ל הַדָּֽם׃
that the manslayer that killeth any person through error and unawares may flee thither; and they shall be unto you for a refuge from the avenger of blood.
… בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְלַגֵּר֙ הַגָּ֣ר בְּתוֹכָ֔ם לָנ֣וּס שָׁ֔מָּה כָּל־מַכֵּה־נֶ֖פֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָ֑ה …
These were the appointed cities for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person through error might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation.
לִבְנֵ֨י מְרָרִ֜י לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֗ם מִמַּטֵּ֨ה רְאוּבֵ֤ן וּמִמַּטֵּה־גָד֙ וּמִמַּטֵּ֣ה זְבוּלֻ֔ן עָרִ֖ים שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵֽה׃
The children of Merari according to their families had out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.
אֶת־עֲנָתוֹת֙ וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁ֔הָ וְאֶת־עַלְמ֖וֹן וְאֶת־מִגְרָשֶׁ֑הָ עָרִ֖ים אַרְבַּֽע׃
Anathoth with the open land about it, and Almon with the open land about it; four cities.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 10 | 7.6 |
| 11 to 100 | 69 | 76.3 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 720 | 760 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 3,155 | 3,295 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 35,998 | 38,985 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 799. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 799 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 96/100 | 842 | 770 to 951 |
| Words within each verse | 33/100 | 787 | 723 to 856 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 9,605 | 11,043 |
| Exodus | 8,151 | 8,987 |
| Leviticus | 5,188 | 6,337 |
| Numbers | 10,426 | 8,989 |
| Deuteronomy | 6,582 | 7,767 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 159,625 | 175,883 |
| Prophets | 306,789 | 319,506 |
| Writings | 248,953 | 195,244 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set סכות beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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