Gematria
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2008-07-10T12:43:25Z
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'''Gematria''' ([[Hebrew language|Rabbinic Hebrew]] {{lang|he| גימטריה}} ''{{transl|sem|gēmaṭriyā}}''), is believed to have been formed from a [[Metathesis (linguistics)|metathesis]] of the Greek word grammateia ("play upon letters"), from gramma (letter) and literally means 'that which is written'<ref>p.307, Klein</ref>, and is a system of assigning [[number|numerical value]] to an [[alphabet]]. It is extant in English since the 17th century from translations of works by [[Giovanni Pico della Mirandola]]. Although ostensibly derived from Greek, it is largely used in Jewish texts of [[Tanakh]] and [[Talmud]], notably in those associated with the [[Kabbalah]].
Some identify two forms of gematria: the "revealed" form, which is prevalent in many several hermeneutic methods found throughout [[Rabbinic literature]], and the "mystical" form, a largely [[Kabbalah|Kabbalistic]] practice.{{Fact|date=July 2008}}
{{Kabbalah}}
==Use in Judaism==
In [[Judaism]] gematria are the methods of [[Biblical hermeneutics]] in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] used to derive [[Meaning (linguistic)|meaning]] or relative relationship from words with identical numerical values. It is the "rule" 29 in the [[Baraita]] of [[Eliezer_ben_Jose#Baraita_of_the_Thirty-Two_Rules|32 rules]] by [[Eliezer ben Jose|Eliezer ben Yosi HaGalili]].
Far from being of curiosity value it is often regarded, gematria is located at the core of several major areas of study, notably [[linguistics]]. Of primary consideration is the suggested introduction of the Assyrian Script (in Hebrew, K'tav Ashuri) during the Babylonian Exile by modern scholars who disregard the many statements made in the [[Talmud]] such as at [[Sanhedrin (Talmud)|Sanhedrin]] 21b-22a that the [[Torah]] was originally received written in K'tav Ashuri, and not the K'tav Ivri<ref>also known as the Old Hebrew alphabet last attested c. 900 BCE</ref> also found on many archaeological artifices. The crucial difference is that the K'tav Ashuri has the final forms of five letters for a total of 27 while K'tav Ivri has only the 22 standard letters. The impact of early use of K'tav Ashuri in the writing of Torah is largely supported by the simple reality that gematria is applied to the [[Exegesis#Judaism|exegetic analysis]] of the [[Torah]]. Interestingly modern scholars ignore the very fact that the K'tav Ivri is named after [[Abraham]] who was known as the Ivri, (Hebrew plural, Ivrim), which occurs in [[Genesis]] 14:13 with the phrase Avram ha-Ivri, and is the origin of the English word [[Hebrew]]. The importance of this is that early Midrashic sources explicitly state that the laws of Torah ([[Passover]]) were already observed by the [[Patriarchs (Bible)|Patriarchs]] well before Sinai<ref>pp.26-27, Freedman (II)</ref>, and in one case with a simultaneous explicit example in the use of gematria for chronological calculations <ref>pp.882-883, Freedman (VII)</ref> referring to Genesis 26:5.
The abandoning of the original K'tav Ashuri sometime during Abraham's life before 1638 BCE<ref>cognate with the North Semitic alphabet of c.1700 BCE</ref>, and its regaining at Sinai in 1313 BCE has importance for the theories of [[historical linguistics]] and in particular the field of [[Indo-European studies|Indo-European theory]] that posits an early borrowing by the Greeks of a 28 letter Semitic alphabet and for development of the 27 letter alphabetic gematria system in Greece<ref>cognate with Phoenician but adding u-psilon 400, phi 500, chi 600, psi 700, o-mega 800 and sampi 900</ref> possibly by the 10th century BCE of a proto-language although the earliest evidence dates to the 8th century BCE.<ref>The earliest known fragmentary Greek inscriptions date from this time, 770-750 BC, and they match Phoenician letter forms of c. 800-750 BC; see Swiggers</ref>
Although Bernal, Contenau, Naveh, Ifrah and others (see recommended readings) argue for the gematria system to have been borrowed by the [[Judea]] populations from Greeks in the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE, the Hebrew textual evidence suggests that borrowing flowed from [[Israel]] to the Greek populations earlier than 8th century BCE due to close relationship between K'tav Ivri and Phoenician scripts.
==Textual sources==
A [[Mishna]]ic textual source makes clear that the use of gematria is dated to at least the Tannaic period.
[[Pirkei Avot]] 3:18:
רבי אלעזר בן חסמא אומר, קנין ופתחי נדה הן הן גופי הלכות. תקופות וגמטריאות פרפראות לחכמה.
<blockquote>
Rabbi [[Eleazar Chisma]]<ref>astronomer and mathematician and knew geometry, Horayoth 10 a-b</ref> said: the laws of mixed bird offerings and the key to the calculations of [[menstruation]] days—these, these are the body of the halakhah. The calculation of the [[equinox]]es and ''gematria'' are the [[dessert]]s of [[wisdom]].
</blockquote>
==Values table==
The Mispar gadol (see below) values are:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Decimal
!Hebrew
!Glyph
|-
|[[1 (number)|1]]
|[[Aleph (Hebrew)|''Aleph'']]
| א
|-
|[[2 (number)|2]]
|[[Bet (letter)|''Bet'']]
| ב
|-
|[[3 (number)|3]]
|[[Gimel (letter)|''Gimel'']]
| ג
|-
|[[4 (number)|4]]
|''[[Daled]]''
| ד
|-
|[[5 (number)|5]]
|[[He (letter)|''He'']]
| ה
|-
|[[6 (number)|6]]
|[[Waw (letter)|''Waw'']]
| ו
|-
|[[7 (number)|7]]
|''[[Zayin]]''
| ז
|-
|[[8 (number)|8]]
|[[Heth (letter)|''Heth'']]
| ח
|-
|[[9 (number)|9]]
|''[[Teth]]''
| ט
|-
|[[10 (number)|10]]
|''[[Yodh]]''
| י
|-
|[[20 (number)|20]]
|''[[Kaph]]''
| כ, ך
|-
|[[30 (number)|30]]
|''[[Lamed]]''
| ל
|-
|[[40 (number)|40]]
|''[[Mem]]''
| מ, ם
|-
|[[50 (number)|50]]
|''[[Nun (letter)|Nun]]''
| נ, ן
|-
|[[60 (number)|60]]
|''[[Samekh]]''
| ס
|-
|[[70 (number)|70]]
|''[[Ayin]]''
| ע
|-
|[[80 (number)|80]]
|''[[Pe (letter)|Pe]]''
| פ, ף
|-
|[[90 (number)|90]]
|''[[Tsadi]]''
| צ, ץ
|-
|[[100 (number)|100]]
|''[[Qoph]]''
| ק
|-
|[[200 (number)|200]]
|''[[Resh]]''
| ר
|-
|[[300 (number)|300]]
|''[[Shin (letter)|Shin]]''
| ש
|-
|[[400 (number)|400]]
|''[[Taw (letter)|Taw]]''
| ת
|-
|[[500 (number)|500]]
|''[[Kaph]]''
|ך
|-
|[[600 (number)|600]]
|''[[Mem]]''
|ם
|-
|[[700 (number)|700]]
|''[[Nun (letter)|Nun]]''
|ן
|-
|[[800 (number)|800]]
|''[[Pe (letter)|Pe]]''
|ף
|-
|[[900 (number)|900]]
|''[[Tsadi]]''
|ץ
|}
==Gematria methods==
There are several methods used to calculate the numerical value for the individual words, and [[Chapters and verses of the Bible|psukim]] (verses).
* ''Mispar hechrachi'' (absolute value) that uses full numerical value of the twenty-two letters.
* ''Mispar gadol'' counts the final forms (sofit) of the Hebrew letters as a continuation of the numerical sequence for the alphabet, with the final letters assigned values from 500 to 900.
* ''Mispar katan'' calculates the value of each letter, but truncates all of the zeros.
* ''Mispar siduri'' (ordinal value) with each of the 22 letters given a value from one to twenty-two.
* ''At Bash'' uses letter (of a word or phrase) exchanges with its ''opposite'' letter and then the result is calculated. Opposite letters are determined by substituting the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet (Aleph) with the last letter (Tav), the second letter (Bet) with the next to last (Shin), etc.
* ''Mispar HaKadmi'' uses each letter as the sum of the all the standard gematria letter values preceding it. Therefore, the value of Aleph is 1, the value of Bet is 1+2=3, the value of Gimmel is 1+2+3=6, etc.
* ''Mispar HaPerati'' calculates the value of each letter as the square of its standard gematria value. Therefore, the value of Aleph is 1*1=1, the value of Bet is 2*2=4, the value of gimmel is 3*3=9, etc.
* ''Mispar Shemi'' (also Millui letter "filling"), uses the value of each letter as equal to the value of its name<ref>the spelling of the name of the number comes from the Talmud</ref>. For example, the value of the letter Aleph is (1+30+80) = 111, Bet is (2+10+400) = 412, etc.
* ''Mispar katan mispari'' (integral reduced value) is used where the total numerical value of a word is reduced to a single digit. If the sum of the value exceeds 9, the integer values of the total are repeatedly added to produce a single-digit number. The same value will be arrived at regardless of whether it is the absolute values, the ordinal values, or the reduced values that are being counted by methods above.
* ''Albam'' exchanges letters, with the alphabet is divided in half, eleven letters in each section. The first letter of the first series is exchanged for the first letter of the second series, the second letter of the first series for the second letter of the second series and so forth.
==Absolute value gematria==
The most common form of ''gematria'' is used in the [[Talmud]] and [[Midrash]], and elaborately by many post-Talmudic [[rabbinic literature|commentators]]. It involves reading words and sentences as numbers, assigning numerical instead of phonetic value to each letter of the [[Hebrew alphabet]]. When read as numbers, they can be compared and contrasted with other words or phrases. A commentary almost completely dedicated to ''gematria'' is [[Baal ha-Turim]] by [[Rabbi]] [[Jacob ben Asher]].
''Gematria'' is often used by the [[Maharal of Prague]] and [[Hasidic Judaism|hasidic]] [[Torah]] commentators (such as the "''Sefath Emmeth''" from [[Góra Kalwaria|Gur]]).
==Gematria and discovery of Pi==
''Gematria'' has been employed to contend that the author of Kings, who according to traditionalists is [[Jeremiah]], was aware of the approximate value of [[Pi]]. A plain reading of {{bibleverse|1|Kings|7:23|}} suggests that its author believed that 3, rather than 3.14159..., is the value of Pi. The verse describes the molten sea that was made in the [[Temple]] as being 10 [[cubits]] from brim to brim (diameter) and as being encircled completely by a line of 30 cubits (circumference).{{Fact|date=July 2008}}
In Jewish tradition, words appearing in portions of the Books of the Prophets are occasionally read (''[[Qere|Kri]]'') differently than they are written (''[[Kethib|Ktiv]]''), although this phenomenon is not particularly common. Some traditional biblical scholars, such as [[Judah Loew ben Bezalel|Rabbi Judah Loew]], the 16th century [[Maharal]] of Prague, attribute the Kri/Ktiv dichotomy to the original authors of the Books of the Prophets. In this instance, the written form of the word meaning "circumference" is spelled קוה (Kuf, Vav, Hey) for the molten sea's circumference. Yet, the read form is spelled קָו (Kuf, Vav). The numerical value of קוה is 111 (Kuf = 100, Vav = 6, Hey = 5), while that of קָו is 106 (Kuf = 100, Vav = 6). The ratio of these two numbers (111/106 = 1.047169) closely approximates the ratio between Pi and 3 (1.047197). If used to calculate Pi, a value of 3.141509 is obtained, which is approximately 99.997% of the known value. The [[Vilna Gaon]], a Rabbinic luminary of the 18th Century known for a remarkable mathematical prowess, is often credited with this discovery.
This can be compared with a phenomenon found in the [[Pythagoras|Pythagorean]] [[motto]] "God is ever a geometer" (ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ μέγας γεωμετρεῖ)—counting the letters of the words reveals the first six digits of [[pi]].
== Kabbalistic gematria ==
''Gematria'' is also used as a system of recognizing a correspondence between the ten ''[[Sephirot|sefirot]]'', and the twenty-two letters in the [[Hebrew alphabet]]. This system is elaborated in many mystical [[Judaism|Jewish]] writings such as the [[Zohar]].{{Fact|date=July 2008}}
One example of ''gematria'' are the twenty-two solid figures that are composed of [[polygon|regular polygons]]. There are five [[Platonic solid]]s, four [[Kepler-Poinsot polyhedra|Kepler-Poinsot solid]]s, and thirteen [[Archimedean solid]]s. Since there are twenty-two [[Letter (alphabet)|letter]]s in the [[Hebrew alphabet]], a correspondence can be inferred between these two disparate categories. The art of ''gematria'' is knowing which solid is associated with which letter.{{Verify source|date=July 2008}}
Yet another form, albeit reversed from the conventional, involves finding words that use or are similar to the letters which representing the current calendar year, and associating those words with predictions for the year.{{Verify source|date=July 2008}}
Some Kabbalistic uses of ''gematria'' recognize differing values for the final forms and assign multiples of [[1000 (number)|1000]] for letters that are drawn larger than those adjacent to them. {{Verify source|date=July 2008}}
==Use in other languages==
Although use of techniques that correspond to gematria, which were part of the esoteric lore in Mesopotamia, are suggested to predate its use in Hebrew, this can only be attested to the eight century BCE<ref>p.48, Clawson</ref> where as use of gematria is identified in the very first verses of Genesis claimed to be dated to the 12th century BCE.<ref>p.11, Acres</ref> The first attested use of gematria in Mesopotamia occurs in an inscription of Sargon II (727–707 BCE) stating that the king built the wall of Khorsabad 16,283 cubits long to correspond with the numerical value of his name.<ref>p.197, Ratzan</ref>
Gematria was borrowed into the Greek probably soon after their adoption of the Semitic wryting system. The extant examples of use in Greek come primarily for the Christian literature and, unlike rabbinic sources, is always explicitly stated as being used.<ref>p.164, Davies & Allison</ref> [[Plato]] (c. 427-347 BCE) offers a discussion of gematria in its simplest forms in [[Cratylus]], where he claims that the "essential force" of a thing's name is to be found in its numerical value, with words and phrases of the same numerical value may be substituted in context without loss in meaning.
The Latin-script languages exhibit borrowing of gematria methods dating from the early Middle Ages after the use lapsed following the collapse of Roman Empire in the 5th century.
==See also==
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{{Portalpar|Kabbalah|Tree_of_life_wk_02.jpg}}
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* [[Abjad numerals]]
* [[Bible Code]]
* [[Hebrew numerals]]
* [[Isopsephy]]
* [[Kollel (disambiguation)]]
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* [[Kabbalah]]
* [[Mathers table]]
* [[Metaphysics]]
* [[Mysticism]]
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* [[Notarikon]]
* [[Temurah (Kabbalah)|Temurah]]
* [[Theomatics]]
* [[Jewish mysticism]]
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==Citations and notes==
{{reflist}}
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==References==
* Klein, Ernest, Dr., ''A comprehensive etymological dictionary of the English language: Dealing with the origin of words and their sense development thus illustrating the history and civilization of culture'', Elsevier, Oxford, 7th ed., 2000
* Davies, William David & Allison, Dale C., ''A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew'', Continuum International Publishing Group, 2004
* Acres, Kevin, ''Data integrity patterns of the Torah: A tale of prime, perfect and transcendental numbers'', Research Systems, Melbourne, 2004 [http://www.research-systems.com/codes/mathcode-web.pdf]
* Clawson, Calvin C., ''Mathematical Mysteries: The Beauty and Magic of Numbers'', Perseus Books, 1999
* Ratzan, Lee, ''Understanding Information Systems: What They Do and why We Need Them'', ALA Editions, 2004
* [[Genesis Rabba|Genesis Rabbah]] 95:3. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Genesis''. Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. Volume II, London: The Soncino Press, 1983. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
* [[Deuteronomy Rabbah]] 1:25. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., ''Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus''. Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. Volume VII, London: The Soncino Press, 1983. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
==Further reading==
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* Swiggers, Pierre, Transmission of the Phoenician Script to the West, in Daniels and Bright, ''The World's Writing Systems'', 1996
* Bernal, Martin. Cadmean Letters: The Transmission of the Alphabet to the Aegean and Further West before 1400 B.C. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1990.
* Cajori, Florian. A History of Mathematical Notations (2 vv.). Chicago: Open Court, 1928-9.
* Contenau, Georges. Everyday Life in Babylon and Assyria, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1954.
* Diringer, David. The Alphabet: A Key to the History of Mankind (2 vv.). New York, Funk & Wagnalls, 1968.
* Diringer, David. The Story of the Aleph Beth. New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1960; World Jewish Congress, 1958.
* Fideler, David. Jesus Christ: Sun of God: Ancient Cosmology and Early Christian Symbolism. Quest Books, 1993.
* Ifrah, Georges. From One to Zero: A Universal History of Numbers, Viking, 1985.
* Menninger, Karl. Number Words and Number Symbols: A Cultural History of Numbers. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1969.
* Naveh, Joseph. Early History of the Alphabet: An Introduction to West Semitic Epigraphy and Paleography. Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, The Hebrew University, 1987.
* Parpola, Simo. "The Assyrian Tree of Life: Tracing the Origins of Jewish Monotheism and Greek Philosophy." Journ. Near Eastern Studies 52, 3 (July 1993), 161-208.
==External links==
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* [http://baraksh.co.il/webgim WebGim - An interactive gematria calculator, which includes results from Torah verses. (Hebrew)]
* [http://www.masoncode.com Peter's Gematria Site] - examines the application of gematria to the European languages from the Medieval period onwards, particularly in respect to esoteric communities, such as the Freemasons.
* [http://www.c2kb.com/gematria Gematria Synonymous Calculator] - Hebrew gematria calculator that finds synonymous phrases.
* [http://www.rodurago.de/en/index.php?site=correspondence&link=alphabet#alphabet Letters of several alphabets and their numerical amounts]
* [http://www.gimatria.net/ Gematria calculator], finds match to Biblical verses (in Hebrew)
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