Torah (Pentateuch)
Original Language: Hebrew
[1] Overview
The five books of Moses forming the foundation of Jewish scripture. Contains creation narrative, Exodus, and Mosaic law.
Origin
Ancient Israel
Dating
1400-400 BCE (traditional), 600-400 BCE (scholarly)
Authorship
Traditionally Moses; scholarly view: multiple sources (JEDP)
Structure
5 books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
5,845 verses/entries
[2] The Numerology System
Hebrew Gematria
How It Works
Hebrew gematria assigns numerical values to each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Aleph=1, Bet=2, through Tav=400. Words with equal values are considered conceptually related.
Example Calculation
YHVH (Yod-He-Vav-He): Y(10) + H(5) + V(6) + H(5) = 26
[3] Key Numbers in This Tradition
| Number | Significance |
|---|---|
| 7 | Completion - days of creation |
| 12 | Governance - tribes of Israel |
| 26 | YHVH (Tetragrammaton) - The divine name |
| 40 | Testing/trial - years in wilderness |
| 72 | Names of God - from Exodus 14:19-21 |
| 613 | Commandments (mitzvot) in the Torah |
[4] Search This Text
Search for words, phrases, or concepts in the original text or translation.
[5] Calculate Gematria
[6] Scholarly Sources
- Friedman, Richard Elliott. 'Who Wrote the Bible?' (1987)
- Alter, Robert. 'The Five Books of Moses' (2004)
- Sarna, Nahum. 'Understanding Genesis' (1966)
This information is presented for educational purposes. Interpretations vary among traditions and scholars.
[7] Cross-Tradition Connections
Numbers that appear across multiple sacred traditions: