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  • From: peter_kirk AT sil.org
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>, <atombomb AT sirius.com>
  • Subject: Re[2]: Secret Codes
  • Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 15:08:15 -0400


Dear John,

Thank you for your contribution. I would be interested in seeing
Satinover's study, but I don't have it available to me here so I
cannot answer your question. This approach is relevant to the study of
the Hebrew text as it offers a possible explanation of the numbers
found in the text - the only other one I can think of is that they are
real historical data. I don't think gematria of this type is a
suitable case for Cindy's conspiracy theory studies. Maybe the Drosnin
type Bible codes would be a better one.

Peter Kirk


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Subject: Re: Secret Codes
Author: atombomb AT sirius.com at internet
Date: 16/06/1999 15:24


Glory to God!

Hi again--

It seems that regardless of whatever becomes of Drosnin's theories,
the bible does contain numerical patters which are of interest to
bible studies professionals and that would be of interest even to
those outside the guild, which are worthy of exploring, and I will
offer some patterns for your consideration below. But let me preface
this by saying I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly with Fred P
Miller's comment about the need to master the actual meaning of the
scriptural text itself, first of all-- at both the grammatical and the
narrative levels! Nevertheless, as I say, the text may actually
contain some numerical devices, among the other ways it communicates
its various meanings.

Regarding the "bible codes" currently under discussion, I don't know
if people are aware that there are actually two "bible codes" books
out-- the one, quite well known, by Drosnin, which is rather
sensationalist to say the least; and another, published in an almost
identical cover at just about the same time as Drosnin's-- Jeffrey
Satinover, MD, Cracking the Bible Code (Wm. Morrow & Co., New York:
1997)-- which strikes me as more sober, and he actually shows the math
etc. Satinover does not seem to be aware of Drosnin's book. I don't
have Drosnin's book, so I can't tell you if it's by the same
publisher, but one has to wonder about publishers' strategies when
they're so similar.

Anyway, as I mention, Satinover discusses the math, but not being a
statistician myself, I can't comment on the pertinence of what he has
to say. Perhaps Peter Kirk, you could look at this and let us know
what you think.

The new "bible codes" aside, though-- and whatever may be made of
them-- as I said, there are numerical patterns of at least in some
passages of the bible. Consider not only the calculation of moon
phases mentioned by the Talmud as present in the first lines of
Genesis, which are discussed by Satinover-- and the following facts
as well:

Age of Abraham at death: 175= 5x5 x7
Age of Issac at death: 180= 6x6 x5
Age of Jacob at death: 147= 7x7 x3
Yrs Jacob was called Israel: 64= 8x8 x1

(The years of "Israel" are not given directly but derivable from scripture).

Note the nifty sequences, up and down the columns, 1-3-5-7 and
5-6-7-8. Note also that the factors of each number, (5+5+7),
(6+6+5), (7+7+3), and (8+8+1) in each case add up to 17.

<snip>

Glory to God for all things!

John Burnett, MA (OT)

<snip>





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