Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Henry Churchyard <churchyh AT ccwf.cc.utexas.edu>]

> Subject: Re: Proverbs 25 and "secret things".
> From: peter_kirk AT sil.org
> Date: Wed, 16 Jun 1999 18:40:22 -0400

> Gematria is not the same thing as the "Bible Codes", it has an
> altogether better "sound" and this hood may be worth looking under -
> especially when applied to words and short phrases rather than long
> passages. So please share with us your insights on this.  Do you
> have evidence for gematria being used in the composition of the
> Hebrew Bible, rather than just in its later interpretation?

Unfortunately, the developed system of unit, tens. and hundreds values
assigned to the Hebrew/Aramaic alphabet (Aleph-Tet 1-9, Yod-Tsade
10-90, Qoph-Taw 100-400), didn't exist until the Hellenistic period...

Also, many of the ages of the patriarchs, etc. differ between the
Hebrew version and the Septuagint, for what that's worth...

--
Henry Churchyard churchyh AT ccwf.cc.utexas.edu  
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~churchh