Q&A: The Bible Code
The Bible Code
Question
Hello, Rabbi. I sometimes hear people talking about the “Bible Code” and how it’s possible to find “hidden messages” in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) by reading words through letter skips. The first thing that came to mind when I heard this was that the Hebrew Bible has over a million letters, and if we multiply that by the number of jumps one can make between letters, we can easily find any word of at least 5 letters (that is, there’s no real “code” here; it’s just basic combinatorics).
Would you say you believe in the code and think there is really something to it? If so, I’d be happy if you could explain what I’m missing.
Thank you
Answer
I’ve looked into the issue a bit, though not very deeply. I can only say that your argument is no less superficial than the arguments made in favor of the codes. This is a dispute between statistics experts, and the arguments on both sides are not simple. I’m not talking about rabbinic charlatans who understand nothing about it, but about knowledgeable people who have done serious work. They weren’t born yesterday either. If this interests you, look up the material online, read the arguments, and then form an informed opinion. Be prepared for quite a bit of work, and even then it’s doubtful you’ll reach a conclusion.
I have a feeling that now he won’t have much motivation to get into it…
Just a feeling.