Zion ציון
A stronghold David took from the Jebusites, then a hill, then a name for the whole people. It appears nowhere in the Torah.
- Found in the Torah
- 188,337
- Chance alone: 193,410
- Skips 2 to 101,616
- Found in the Tanakh
- 3,464,109
- Chance alone: 3,429,830
- Skips 2 to 399,013
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Zion enters the Tanakh as military news. David took the stronghold of Zion, says 2 Samuel 5:7, and the same is the city of David. It starts as a fort on a spur south of the Temple Mount. From there the name climbs. Psalms and Isaiah use it for the Temple hill, then the city, then the people themselves: Say unto Zion, thou art My people, in Isaiah 51:16. Isaiah alone has 36 bare cases, and Lamentations gives it twelve, mostly the daughter of Zion in mourning. The word has no bare use in the Torah. Modern Zionism took its name from here.
- As a whole word
- 108
- First, with any prefix
- 2 Samuel 5:7
- Last
- 2 Chronicles 5:2
The measurement
The Torah never uses the word, and it has 188,337 sequences of it, 2.6 percent under the formula. In the Tanakh the count goes the other way, 1 percent over. Word shuffles at skips 2 to 1,000 stand 68 of 100 at or above the real 3,817, which is unremarkable.
| At every skip | Torah | Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Found | 188,337 | 3,464,109 |
| Chance alone | 193,410 | 3,429,830 |
| P (≥ found) | 1.00 | 1.5 × 10⁻⁷⁶ |
| Shortest skip | 2 | 2 |
| Longest skip | 101,429 | 398,728 |
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 18,959 against 18,562 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 Exodus 9:27
וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח פַּרְעֹ֗ה וַיִּקְרָא֙ לְמֹשֶׁ֣ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֔ן וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֖ם חָטָ֣אתִי הַפָּ֑עַם יְקוָק֙ הַצַּדִּ֔יק וַאֲנִ֥י וְעַמִּ֖י הָרְשָׁעִֽים׃
And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them: ‘I have sinned this time; the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
Shortest skip 2, forward from Exodus 10:14
וַיַּ֣עַל הָֽאַרְבֶּ֗ה עַ֚ל כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיָּ֕נַח בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֣וּל מִצְרָ֑יִם כָּבֵ֣ד …
And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
Short skip 50, forward from Deuteronomy 26:6
וַיָּרֵ֧עוּ אֹתָ֛נוּ הַמִּצְרִ֖ים וַיְעַנּ֑וּנוּ וַיִּתְּנ֥וּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עֲבֹדָ֥ה קָשָֽׁה׃
And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage.
וַנִּצְעַ֕ק אֶל־יְקוָ֖ק אֱ־לֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע יְקוָק֙ אֶת־קֹלֵ֔נוּ וַיַּ֧רְא אֶת־עָנְיֵ֛נוּ וְאֶת־עֲמָלֵ֖נוּ וְאֶת־לַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃
And we cried unto the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression.
וַיּוֹצִאֵ֤נוּ יְקוָק֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם בְּיָ֤ד חֲזָקָה֙ וּבִזְרֹ֣עַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבְמֹרָ֖א גָּדֹ֑ל וּבְאֹת֖וֹת וּבְמֹפְתִֽים׃
And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders.
וַיְבִאֵ֖נוּ אֶל־הַמָּק֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַיִּתֶּן־לָ֨נוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Middle skip 500, backward from Genesis 27:33
… עַד־מְאֹד֒ וַיֹּ֡אמֶר מִֽי־אֵפ֡וֹא ה֣וּא הַצָּֽד־צַיִד֩ וַיָּ֨בֵא לִ֜י וָאֹכַ֥ל מִכֹּ֛ל …
And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said: ‘Who then is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.’
וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אַתָּ֥ה זֶ֖ה בְּנִ֣י עֵשָׂ֑ו וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אָֽנִי׃
And he said: ‘Art thou my very son Esau?’ And he said: ‘I am.’
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אִמּ֔וֹ עָלַ֥י קִלְלָתְךָ֖ בְּנִ֑י אַ֛ךְ שְׁמַ֥ע בְּקֹלִ֖י וְלֵ֥ךְ קַֽח־לִֽי׃
And his mother said unto him: ‘Upon me be thy curse, my son; only hearken to my voice, and go fetch me them.’
וַיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־זָקֵ֣ן יִצְחָ֔ק וַתִּכְהֶ֥יןָ עֵינָ֖יו מֵרְאֹ֑ת וַיִּקְרָ֞א אֶת־עֵשָׂ֣ו בְּנ֣וֹ הַגָּדֹ֗ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ בְּנִ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו הִנֵּֽנִי׃
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said unto him: ‘My son’; and he said unto him: ‘Here am I.’
Wide skip 5,000, backward from Leviticus 13:27
וְרָאָ֥הוּ הַכֹּהֵ֖ן בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֑י אִם־פָּשֹׂ֤ה תִפְשֶׂה֙ בָּע֔וֹר וְטִמֵּ֤א הַכֹּהֵן֙ אֹת֔וֹ נֶ֥גַע צָרַ֖עַת הִֽוא׃
And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day; if it spread abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is the plague of leprosy.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֡ן וּלְאֶלְעָזָר֩ וּלְאִֽיתָמָ֨ר …
And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons: ‘Let not the hair of your heads go loose, neither rend your clothes, that ye die not, and that He be not wroth with all the congregation; but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel…
אִ֣ם עַל־תּוֹדָה֮ יַקְרִיבֶנּוּ֒ וְהִקְרִ֣יב עַל־זֶ֣בַח הַתּוֹדָ֗ה חַלּ֤וֹת …
If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour soaked.
וְהֵבִ֣יא אֶת־הַפָּ֗ר אֶל־פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לִפְנֵ֣י יְקוָ֑ק וְסָמַ֤ךְ אֶת־יָדוֹ֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַפָּ֔ר וְשָׁחַ֥ט אֶת־הַפָּ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י יְקוָֽק׃
And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tent of meeting before the LORD; and he shall lay his hand upon the head of the bullock, and kill the bullock before the LORD.
Outside the Torah
Shortest skip 2, forward from Judges 10:11
וַ֥יֹּאמֶר יְקוָ֖ק אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֲלֹ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ וּמִן־הָ֣אֱמֹרִ֔י וּמִן־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּ֖וֹן וּמִן־פְּלִשְׁתִּֽים׃
And the LORD said unto the children of Israel: ‘Did not I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
Middle skip 500, forward from 1 Kings 8:58
לְהַטּ֥וֹת לְבָבֵ֖נוּ אֵלָ֑יו לָלֶ֣כֶת בְּכָל־דְּרָכָ֗יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר מִצְוֺתָ֤יו וְחֻקָּיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖ה אֶת־אֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃
that He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.
… גָּד֜וֹל מִלְּב֥וֹא חֲמָ֣ת עַד־נַ֣חַל מִצְרַ֗יִם לִפְנֵי֙ יְקוָ֣ק אֱ־לֹהֵ֔ינוּ שִׁבְעַ֥ת …
So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entrance Hamath unto the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
… תְּשֻׁב֜וּן אַתֶּ֤ם וּבְנֵיכֶם֙ מֵֽאַחֲרַ֔י וְלֹ֤א תִשְׁמְרוּ֙ מִצְוֺתַ֣י חֻקֹּתַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר …
But if ye shall turn away from following Me, ye or your children, and not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
וַיֵּצֵ֤א חִירָם֙ מִצֹּ֔ר לִרְאוֹת֙ אֶת־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָתַן־ל֖וֹ שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה וְלֹ֥א יָשְׁר֖וּ בְּעֵינָֽיו׃
And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him: and they pleased him not.
By skip range, shuffled texts and book
| Skips, Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 10 | 37 | 34.3 |
| 11 to 100 | 333 | 342 |
| 101 to 1,000 | 3,447 | 3,408 |
| 1,001 to 5,000 | 15,142 | 14,777 |
| 5,001 to 101,616 | 169,378 | 174,848 |
Shuffled Torahs
The Torah's own count at skips 2 to 1,000 is 3,817. Each family below rebuilt the text 100 times (seed 5787). What each family keeps.
| Control family | Runs at or above 3,817 | Median run | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter shuffle | 26/100 | 3,775 | 3,649 to 3,976 |
| Words within each verse | 68/100 | 3,854 | 3,655 to 4,018 |
Where the sequences start
| Torah | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis | 58,407 | 49,530 |
| Exodus | 44,340 | 40,307 |
| Leviticus | 20,685 | 28,420 |
| Numbers | 30,182 | 40,316 |
| Deuteronomy | 34,723 | 34,837 |
| Tanakh | Found | Chance alone |
|---|---|---|
| Torah | 847,023 | 873,473 |
| Prophets | 1,610,207 | 1,586,735 |
| Writings | 1,006,879 | 969,622 |
Run this search yourself
Change the skips, set ציון beside another word, and run the controls on your own question.
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