Gematria Calculator › Torah Codes
Torah Codes – What They Are and How to Search Them
When people talk about "Torah codes" or "Bible codes", they usually mean one of three approaches: letter-substitution ciphers, equidistant letter sequences (ELS), and numerical gematria. Here is a short explanation of each, with the sources and a free tool to search the whole Tanakh.
1. Letter-substitution ciphers – the 8 gematria methods
In the Baraita of the 32 Rules, rule 29 – "gematria" – is defined as "sometimes by calculating letters and sometimes by exchanging letters". In other words, for the Sages gematria is not only arithmetic; it also includes replacing one letter with another according to a fixed order.
The best-known example is in the book of Jeremiah: "and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them" (Jeremiah 25:26). Rashi explains: "Sheshach – this is Babel, in Atbash". In another verse of the same book the two names appear side by side: "How is Sheshach taken… how is Babel become an astonishment among the nations!" (Jeremiah 51:41).
This site brings together eight substitution methods. Each one has its own page with a table, a calculator and sources:
- Atbash – the first letter of the alphabet swaps with the last, like a mirror.
- Albam – the alphabet is split into two halves of 11 letters, and the halves swap.
- Atbach – letters are paired so that their values add up to 10, 100 or 1000.
- Achas Beta – letters are grouped in threes, and each letter can swap with the others in its group.
- Avgad – each letter swaps with its neighbour in the alphabet.
- Ayak Bachar – units, tens and hundreds of the same digit swap with each other.
- Ahvi – the letters Alef, He, Vav and Yod swap with each other.
- Motzaot HaPeh – letters pronounced from the same place in the mouth swap with each other.
2. Equidistant letter sequences (ELS)
In this method you look for a word whose letters appear in the running text of the Torah at equal intervals – for example every 50 letters. In recent generations the method is associated with Rabbi Michael Dov Weissmandl, and it has been widely studied and debated since.
ELS and letter substitution are two different approaches: ELS looks for letters spread out along the text, while substitution translates a whole word into another word. This site focuses on letter substitution and is not meant to replace the study of ELS.
3. Numerical gematria
This is the best-known method: each letter has a numerical value (Alef=1, Yod=10, Kuf=100, Tav=400), and words with equal values are compared. Sometimes the commentators combine calculation and substitution. Rashi writes: "the gematria of ketoret (incense) is 613 commandments, provided that you exchange the Kuf for a Dalet by Atbash" (Rashi on Numbers 7:20). Ketoret (קטרת) equals 709; replacing the Kuf with a Dalet by Atbash gives 4+9+200+400 = 613.
The gematria calculator on the main page computes standard and reduced gematria and searches the whole Tanakh.
Worked examples
- Sheshach = Babel: Atbash in Jeremiah
- Lev Kamai = Kasdim: one word in two words
- Tav'el = Remalya: Albam in Isaiah
- Sahada = Manun: the Atbach of Rabbi Chiya
Questions
Are Torah codes mentioned in the Talmud?
Letter-substitution ciphers are. The Talmud (Shabbat 104a) expounds the alphabet in Atbash, and in Sanhedrin 22a Rav says of the writing on the wall of Belshazzar's palace: "it was written for them in gematria".
What is the difference between a cipher and gematria?
According to the Baraita of the 32 Rules, gematria is "sometimes by calculating letters and sometimes by exchanging letters". So the letter-substitution ciphers are part of what the Sages called gematria.
How are letter-substitution ciphers different from ELS?
In equidistant letter sequences (ELS) you look for a word whose letters appear at equal intervals in the text. In a substitution cipher you translate a whole word into another word using a fixed table. They are two separate methods.
Is the search free?
Yes. The calculator and the search across the whole Tanakh are free for everyone.