Tammuz תמוז
The month is named for a Babylonian god. Ezekiel saw women in the Temple weeping for him, and that is the only time the word stands.
- Found in the Torah
- 108,224
- Chance alone: 108,407
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 1,717,438
- Chance alone: 1,715,355
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the Lord's house, says Ezekiel 8:14, and behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. התמוז, with the article: the Tammuz, an idol of the nations around Israel, mourned with weeping. It is the single appearance of the word in the Tanakh, and it is listed among the abominations of the Temple in Ezekiel's vision. Later on, the month's name came up from Babylon with all the others, and Jews kept it, and no one seemed to mind. The Tanakh itself says the fourth month. Jeremiah 39:2 dates the breach of Jerusalem's wall that way. The search here drops the article and looks for the four bare letters.
- As a whole word
- 0
- First, with any prefix
- Ezekiel 8:14
The measurement
Close to chance on every line: 108,224 against 108,406.6 in the Torah, and 1,717,438 against 1,715,355.1 in the Tanakh. Half the letter shuffles reach the real 2,120, exactly the middle.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 108,224 | 1,717,438 |
| Chance alone | 108,407 | 1,715,355 |
| P (≥ found) | 0.71 | 0.06 |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,336 | 398,505 |
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 10,374 against 10,404 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, backward from Genesis 21:26
… יָדַ֔עְתִּי מִ֥י עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וְגַם־אַתָּ֞ה לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֗י וְגַ֧ם אָנֹכִ֛י …
And Abimelech said: ‘I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.’
Shortest skip 2, backward from Genesis 31:52
… אִם־אָ֗נִי לֹֽא־אֶֽעֱבֹ֤ר אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ אֶת־הַגַּ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה וְאִם־אַ֠תָּה לֹא־תַעֲבֹ֨ר אֵלַ֜י אֶת־הַגַּ֥ל הַזֶּ֛ה …
This heap be witness, and the pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
Short skip 50, backward from Leviticus 16:20
וְכִלָּה֙ מִכַּפֵּ֣ר אֶת־הַקֹּ֔דֶשׁ וְאֶת־אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד וְאֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְהִקְרִ֖יב אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֥יר הֶחָֽי׃
And when he hath made an end of atoning for the holy place, and the tent of meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
וְהִזָּ֨ה עָלָ֧יו מִן־הַדָּ֛ם בְּאֶצְבָּע֖וֹ שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְטִהֲר֣וֹ וְקִדְּשׁ֔וֹ מִטֻּמְאֹ֖ת בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel.
וְיָצָ֗א אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִפְנֵֽי־יְקוָ֖ק וְכִפֶּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו וְלָקַ֞ח מִדַּ֤ם הַפָּר֙ וּמִדַּ֣ם הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְנָתַ֛ן עַל־קַרְנ֥וֹת הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ סָבִֽיב׃
And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make atonement for it; and shall take of the blood of the bullock, and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.
Middle skip 500, forward from Exodus 8:1
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְקוָק֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ אֱמֹ֣ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן נְטֵ֤ה אֶת־יָדְךָ֙ בְּמַטֶּ֔ךָ עַל־הַ֨נְּהָרֹ֔ת עַל־הַיְאֹרִ֖ים וְעַל־הָאֲגַמִּ֑ים וְהַ֥עַל אֶת־הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִ֖ים עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Say unto Aaron: Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.’
וַיִּצְבְּר֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם חֳמָרִ֣ם חֳמָרִ֑ם וַתִּבְאַ֖שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land stank.
וְהִפְלֵיתִי֩ בַיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ גֹּ֗שֶׁן אֲשֶׁ֤ר …
And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end that thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
… הָתֵ֔ל לְבִלְתִּי֙ שַׁלַּ֣ח אֶת־הָעָ֔ם לִזְבֹּ֖חַ לַֽיקוָֽק׃
And Moses said: ‘Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.’
Wide skip 5,000, backward from Numbers 2:10
דֶּ֣גֶל מַחֲנֵ֧ה רְאוּבֵ֛ן תֵּימָ֖נָה לְצִבְאֹתָ֑ם וְנָשִׂיא֙ לִבְנֵ֣י רְאוּבֵ֔ן אֱלִיצ֖וּר בֶּן־שְׁדֵיאֽוּר׃
On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur,
וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בָּכֶ֗ם יִמַּ֨קּוּ֙ בַּֽעֲוֺנָ֔ם בְּאַרְצֹ֖ת אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם וְאַ֛ף בַּעֲוֺנֹ֥ת אֲבֹתָ֖ם אִתָּ֥ם יִמָּֽקּוּ׃
And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.
הוֹצֵ֣א אֶת־הַֽמְקַלֵּ֗ל אֶל־מִחוּץ֙ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְסָמְכ֧וּ כָֽל־הַשֹּׁמְעִ֛ים אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֖ם עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְרָגְמ֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ כָּל־הָעֵדָֽה׃
’Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
דַּבֵּ֥ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹ֑ר אִ֣ישׁ מִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֞ לְדֹרֹתָ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה בוֹ֙ מ֔וּם לֹ֣א יִקְרַ֔ב לְהַקְרִ֖יב לֶ֥חֶם אֱ־לֹהָֽיו׃
Speak unto Aaron, saying: Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from 1 Kings 22:38
וַיִּשְׁטֹ֨ף אֶת־הָרֶ֜כֶב עַ֣ל בְּרֵכַ֣ת שֹׁמְר֗וֹן וַיָּלֹ֤קּוּ הַכְּלָבִים֙ אֶת־דָּמ֔וֹ וְהַזֹּנ֖וֹת רָחָ֑צוּ כִּדְבַ֥ר יְקוָ֖ק אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃
And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; the harlots also washed themselves there; according unto the word of the LORD which He spoke.
Middle skip 500, forward from Isaiah 41:16
תִּזְרֵם֙ וְר֣וּחַ תִּשָּׂאֵ֔ם וּסְעָרָ֖ה תָּפִ֣יץ אוֹתָ֑ם וְאַתָּה֙ תָּגִ֣יל בַּֽיקוָ֔ק בִּקְד֥וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל תִּתְהַלָּֽל׃
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; And thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, Thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
הַעִיר֤וֹתִי מִצָּפוֹן֙ וַיַּ֔את מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁ֖מֶשׁ יִקְרָ֣א בִשְׁמִ֑י וְיָבֹ֤א סְגָנִים֙ כְּמוֹ־חֹ֔מֶר וּכְמ֥וֹ יוֹצֵ֖ר יִרְמָס־טִֽיט׃
I have roused up one from the north, and he is come, From the rising of the sun one that calleth upon My name; And he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, And as the potter treadeth clay.
אֲנִ֧י יְקוָ֛ק קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃
I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, And have taken hold of thy hand, And kept thee, and set thee for a covenant of the people, For a light of the nations;
… אֵ֚לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֔ים עֲשִׂיתִ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עֲזַבְתִּֽים׃
And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, In paths that they knew not will I lead them; I will make darkness light before them, and rugged places plain. These things will I do, And I will not leave them undone.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 13 | 19.2 |
| 11 to 100 | 190 | 192 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 1,917 | 1,910 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 8,254 | 8,283 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 97,850 | 98,003 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 2,120. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 2,120 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 50/100 | 2,123 | 2,016 to 2,245 |
| Words within each verse | 22/100 | 2,083 | 1,986 to 2,271 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 25,012 | 27,762 |
| Exodus | 25,040 | 22,592 |
| Leviticus | 16,685 | 15,929 |
| Numbers | 20,814 | 22,597 |
| Deuteronomy | 20,673 | 19,526 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 477,128 | 436,849 |
| Prophets | 774,228 | 793,571 |
| Writings | 466,082 | 484,936 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set תמוז beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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