Special Notice:| Special Notice: |
This paper has been posted in response to the paper "Jesus Codes: Uses and Abuses"
The author, Rabbi Daniel Mechanic (In consultation with Doron Witztum and
Harold Gans) concludes in his paper "Jesus Codes: Uses and Abuses" that the
equidistant letter sequences (ELS) recently discovered by Yacov Rambsel (a
Messianic Pastor) concerning the name Yeshua
(Jesus in Hebrew) discovered in ELS code hundreds
of times in the Old Testament, do not display anything significant other
than random chance.
For an explanation on equidistant letter sequences (ELS) see:
Super Computers Discover Mathematically Coded Words in the Bible
The paper "Jesus Codes: Uses and Abuses", upon investigation, has been based on something the intelligence community and political circles refer to as a disinformation paper. Disinformation is to take an agenda, find as many truthful statements as you can, mix it with the message you want to get across to your target audience with a few questionable items that you want to imply and you leave the rest of the truth you don't want divulged out of it. The paper by Rabbi Mechanic is posted by Jews for Judaism - an anti-Christian organization.
By producing a document or report in this way the target audience is usually convinced that the report or paper is totally authentic and truthful without questioning some of the points of contention that may be brought up if the paper or report is written in a standard way.
Lets first investigate the truths found in the paper:
We can confirm Rabbi Mechanic's equations on the random occurrence of the word Yeshua:
How often can we randomly expect to find the ELS of Yeshua 
in the book of Genesis at ELS skip distances of 2-1000?
First we must find out the Frequency Divisor for each letter in the ELS:
| Frequency Divisor of each letter in Genesis for the word Yeshua .
See: (see Character frequency for Genesis) |
= one letter in 27.653 chances |
= one letter in 9.241 chances |
= one letter in 21.866 chances |
= one letter in 8.634 chances |
We then take the first letter of the ELS which is a yod (remember Hebrew is read from right to left) and make it 1 for our equation, (we will get back to this later) so the beginning of our equation becomes:
| |
|
|
|
Frequency Divisor Total |
| 27.653 x | 9.241 x | 21.866 x | 1 | = 5,587.667 |
We then find out how many times the first letter of the ELS (in this case - Yod ) appears in Genesis.
| First letter of the ELS | Frequency Total in Genesis See: (Character frequency for Genesis) |
| |
= 9041 |
We then find out what ELS skip distance to calculate, in this instance we will use a skip distance of 1,000.
| We then multiply Frequency Total in Genesis |
With our ELS skip distance | Amount of chances to search |
| 9,041 | 1,000 | = 9,041,000 |
and multiply this total by 2 because the ELS can go forwards or backwards from the start letter.
| Amount of chances to search | Class 2 ELS | Total amount of chances to search |
| 9,041,000 x | 2 | = 18,082,000 |
To Get our Answer:
| We then divide the Total amount of chances to search | with the Frequency Divisor Total for the word Yeshua |
Expected Frequency Answer |
| 18,082,000 Divided by | 5,587.667 | = 3,236.05 times that we can expect to find Yeshua randomly between 2-1,000 skip in Genesis. |
This large amount of occurences of the ELS Yeshua at a skip of 1000 does not apply only to the Bible. It can be found in any text from a newspaper to any book. It is a random occurence and expected to occur.
Rabbi Mechanic states in his paper that the ELS Yeshua actually occurs randomly over 10,000 times in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) when the skip distance of 850 is searched by computer.
Does our equation work with these computer findings:
With the same calculation we used above and using the (Character frequency for the Torah) and a skip distance of 850, our equation shows that we should expect to find the ELS Yeshua 10,133.78 times to appear at random in the whole Torah.
Our equation also works with small skip distances as well:
If one sticks to an ELS of Yeshua which is 10 and under, then a computer search shows Yeshua only occurs 103 times in the whole Torah and only 25 times in the whole book of Genesis.
Our equation shows that we should expect to find the ELS Yeshua 119.221 times randomly in the Torah for a skip distances 2-10.
This is well within the 103 total we actually find in the Torah.
Our equation also confirms the random occurence of the Yeshua ELS in the book of Genesis for a skip between 2-10. We came up with an answer of 32.360
Again we find that 25 times for the word Yeshua to appear in code in Genesis is expected to occur randomly.
Therefore, we confirm these findings of the "Jesus Codes: Uses and Abuses" paper and the mathematical equation we are using for the next part of our paper.
Rabbi Mechanic goes on in his paper to review the Yeshua phrases.
Pastor Rambsel points out in his book that the Phrase "Yeshua Shmi" (Yeshua is my name)
was found in Isaiah 53:10. Rabbi Mechanic counters that "Mohammed Shmi" (Mohammed is my name), Koresh Shmi (Koresh is my name), and Lenin Shmi (Lenin is my name) are also all found throughout the Torah.
We ran a computer search for the smallest skip distances in the Torah for the above. We calculated the following Significance Index for the phrases and compared it with the "Yeshua Shmi" phrase in Isaiah:
"Mohammed Shmi" (Mohammed is my name) 
was found at a skip distance of -321 in Numbers 2:31-1:41
(see Character frequency for the book of Numbers)
Class 2 ELS
The Significance Index is: = 1/8.95 (one chance in 8.95)
To calculate an answer for Expected Frequency we Divide the Total amount of chances to search with the Frequency Divisor for the ELS.
| We then divide the Total amount of chances to search | with Letter Prob. Total for the phrase "Mohammed Shmi" |
Expected Frequency Answer |
| 3,665,178 Divided by | 32,828,944.09 | = a expected frequency of 0.111% to find Mohammed Shmi between 2-321 skip in the book of Numbers. |
Since expected frequency is difficult for the non-mathematician to understand with smaller percentages we simply reverse the end of the equation from: (Divide the Total amount of chances to search with the Frequency Divisor) into: (Divide the Frequency Divisor with the Total amount of chances to search) for the answer to display a Significance Index.
| We divide the Frequency Divisor Total for the phrase "Mohammed Shmi" |
with the Total amount of chances to search | Significance Index Answer |
| 32,828,944.09 Divided by | 3,665,178 | = 8.95 (1/8.95 or one chance in 8.95) to find Mohammed Shmi between 2-321 skip in the book of Numbers. |
Here a significance index of 1/1 is average (random or expected) and the smaller the significance index the better. 1/1000 means that one would typically have to search 1000 texts to find a particular word in the skip range in which it was found.
The further away from 1/1 we get the more likley what we are seeing is not expected and can thus be looked at as having some intelligent design behind the ELS. It should be noted that when we refer to an ELS as having a significance index of 1/50 this does not mean that what we are actually seeing is a code. 1/50 by most mathematicians would still be considered a random occurence, something we might expect to find in any text.
Most mathematicians consider 1/100 (one chance in a hundred) as significant.
A Significance Index of one in a thousand 1/1000 ordinarily would be quite convincing that the ELS was encrypted intentionally by the author.
Lenin Shmi (Lenin is my name) 
was found at a skip distance of -8 in Numbers 9:18,17
(see Character frequency for the book of Numbers)
Class 2 ELS
= 1/8.69
Koresh Shmi (Koresh is my name) 
was found at a Skip of +164 in Numbers 21:3-21:21
(see Character frequency for the book of Numbers)
Class 1 ELS
= 1/40.26
"Yeshua Shmi" (Yehsua is my name) was found at a Skip of -20 in Isaiah 53:10
(see Character frequency for Isaiah)
Class 2 ELS
= 1/34.49
With the phrase discovered by Pastor Rambsel in Leviticus 20:27 
"dam Yeshua" (the blood of Yeshua) Rabbi Mechanic then states that this phrase appears by coincidence because the phrases "dam Mohammed" (the blood of Mohammed) and "dam Koresh" (the blood of Koresh) are also found in the book of Leviticus.
Lets look a little closer at this phrase and the Significance Index involved with each of the above. First lets find out the Significance Index for the
phrase in Leviticus "dam Mohammed" skip distance of 419 (as listed in Rabbi Mechanic's
footnotes)
(see Character frequency for Leviticus)
= 1/5.57 (one chance in 5.57)
Now we will look at the Significance Index of "dam Koresh" a skip of 844 (as listed in Rabbi Mechanic's footnotes)
(see Character frequency for Leviticus)
= 1/1.62
Finally lets look at "dam Yeshua" (the blood of Yeshua) by a skip of 7
(see Character frequency for Leviticus)
Class 2 ELS
= 1/62.87
As we can see above none of the ELS phrases, including the Yeshua phrases that Rabbi Mechanic reviewed, can be considered mathematically significant, they are random and expected to occur in any text. However Rabbi Mechanic failed to mention other phrases discovered by Pastor Rambsel.
Rabbi Mechanic states that all of Pastor Rambsels discoveries are invalid because of the incorrect methodology he has used. Many mistakes have been made in Pastor Rambsels methodology, but this does not invalidate all of the discoveries of Pastor Rambsel.
Why was the ELS phrase found by Pastor Rambsel in Leviticus 21:10 left out of Rabbi Mechanic's paper? Let's take a closer look:
Behold! The blood of Jesus
hain dam Yeshua 
a skip of 3
Class 1 ELS
(see Character frequency for Leviticus)
= 1/ 69,711.30
Note this Significance Index is beyond what Rabbi Mechanic says an ELS to be accepted as a code must be - smaller than in 1/1000 (chances of being accidental must be smaller than 1 chance in 1000). This ELS is one chance in 69,711.30 . Therefore, for this ELS, "Behold! The blood of Jesus" to come up random at a skip distance between 2-3, we need to search 69,711.30 books of equal length to the book of Leviticus with all the letters of the individual books in different positions from the others until we can expect to find one random occurence. This does not mean that we shouldn't expect to find this on the 20,000th search but if we search 1,000,000 different books of equal length to the book of Leviticus with all the letters of the individual books in different positions from the others, we should only expect to find this ELS 14 times at a skip of 2-3.
If this was the only significant Yeshua ELS then I wouldn't be to impressed, but it is not:
The First significant Yeshua ELS phrase begins in the first word of The Bible
| Verse | Phrase | Start Letter |
Skip | Word(s) found in code |
| Genesis 1:1 | In the beginning B'raisheet    |
|
+521 | Jesus to prevail (to overcome) Yeshua yahkol  ---------------- |
(note: When yahkol is used without another verb, as in this case, the sense is "to prevail" or "to overcome". When yahkol is used with another verb it means "can" or "to be able".)
Equidistant Letter Sequence (ELS); "Yeshua lokhay" = Class 5 ELS (note: yahkol is spelled backwards) by a skip of +521
(see Character frequency for Genesis)
= 1/6.56
In reality this phrase is found in the first yod of Genesis. If we recalculate for this phrase from the first at a skip distance of +521:
Class 5 ELS
= 1/ 59,394.26
To get this phrase to occur by chance from the first Yod we need to search 59,394.26 Genesis sized books.
Here we have complex encrypted ELS patterns which required reference into a classification system so we could calculate the Significance Index. This high level of ELS encryption was discovered by Yakov Rambsel because he searches the text by hand. Computer searches by others could not discover the complex encryption of these ELS phrases unless the computer programs were told to look for the second word to be backwards, or for a second ELS to be beside the first at the same skip distance.
The following is our brief review of the significant Yeshua ELS phrases that display a Significance Index of 1/100 or smaller.
Leviticus 17:1
(ELS) = The event of Jesus ha'miqreh Yeshua at a skip of +77
(see Character frequency for Leviticus)
Class 1 ELS
= 1/ 21,312.28
The adjacent letters to Yeshua spell moreh which means, Teacher of Righteousness; early rain.
(see Character frequency for Leviticus)
Class 6 ELS because Moreh is spelled backwards.
If we recalculate with the added ELS and at Class 6 for the entire (both) ELSs.
= 1/58,507,687.28
Ezekiel 37:19
(ELS) = Jesus pomegranate
Yeshua ri'mon in a skip of 13
(see Character frequency for Ezekiel)
ri'mon is spelled backwards which makes this a Class 5 ELS
=1/419.25
The pomegranate is the fruit that G-D commanded Moses to put on the hem of the ephod the high priest wore when he did service unto the L-RD in the Holy Place.
Psalm 41:7-10
All My haters whisper together against Me; they plot evil against Me; saying, A thing of ruin is poured out on Him; and He Who lies down shall not rise again. Even My own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who did eat of My bread, has lifted up his heel against Me. But Thou, O L-RD, be merciful unto Me, and raise Me up, that I may repay them.
In verse eight there is a phrase, they plot evil, yach'shvu rah'ah 
. Notice every other letter starting with the first yod () spells Yeshua . The remaining letters spell, chavrah , which means, an association, group family, or an assembly. The man that betrayed Yeshua was of His group association.
(ELS) = Yeshua at a skip of +2
chavrah
(see Character frequency for Psalms)
this is a Class 3 ELS since both ELS's go in the forward direction.
= 1/26,790.29
Starting with the second to last yod() in verse nine, counting from right to left every 14th letter, spells, Yeshua chali, which means, Yeshua the polished jewel.
(see Character frequency for Psalms)
this is a Class 1 ELS
= 1/145.71
Psalm 22:14-17
In these four verses there are at least ten prophecies concerning Yeshua.
(ELS) = "A sign for (of) Jesus" 'ot ki'Yeshua at a skip of +26
(see Character frequency for Psalms)
Class 1 ELS
= 1/1,182..11
Genesis 1:19
(ELS) = "Jesus to help, (to assist, to aid)" Yeshua ahzar 
at a skip of -69
(see Character frequency for Genesis)
Class 2 ELS
= 1/367.89
Exodus 3:7
(ELS) = YeshuauhseY , which spells Yeshua both ways-from left to right and right to left.
The adjacent letters to the backwards Yeshua spell, Elijah backwards Eliyahu at a skip of 120
(see Character frequency for Exodus)
Class 7 ELS= 1/18,851.18
Deuteronomy 34:4
We have an unusual combination that relates directly to Yeshua and Moses.
(ELS) = Yeshua The adjacent letters to Yeshua spell Torah at a skip of +9
(see Character frequency for Deuteronomy)
this is a Class 3 ELS since both ELS's go in the forward direction.
= 1/99.10
Moses represents the Torah and Elijah, the prophets.
Psalms 22:1-12
ELS = Yeshua Messiah (anointed one)Yeshua masiah at a skip of -45
(see Character frequency for Psalms)
Class 2 ELS
= 1/480.14
Mechanic's statement "After you've proven an ELS to be a genuine Code subjective or interpretive comments about that specific Code are, at best, imaginative speculation and impossible to know for sure."
As we can see with these significant Yeshua ELS's there can be little doubt as to the meaning.
| Leviticus 21:10 | Behold! The blood of Jesus | = 1/69,711.30 |
| Genesis 1:1 | Yeshua to prevail | = 1/59,394.26 |
| Leviticus 17:1 | The event of Jesus/ Teacher of Righteousness; early rain |
= 1/58,507,687.28 |
| Ezekiel 37:19 | Jesus pomegranate | = 1/419.25 |
| Psalm 41:8 | Jesus/ an association, group family, or an assembly |
= 1/26,790.29 |
| Psalm 41:9-12 | Jesus the polished jewel | = 1/145.71 |
| Psalm 22:14-17 | A sign for (of) Jesus | = 1/1,182..11 |
| Genesis 1:19 | Jesus to help, (to assist, to aid) | = 1/367.89 |
| Exodus 3:7 | YeshuauhseY/ Elijah |
= 1/18,851.18 |
| Deuteronomy 34:4 | Jesus/ Torah |
= 1/99.10 |
| Psalms 22:1-12 | Jesus Christ (Messiah) | = 1/480.14 |
No statistically significant ELS codes have yet been found which link; "Yeshua" with "Navi Sheker" (False Prophet), or "Shakran" (liar), or "Maysit" (one who seduces others to go astray), or "Mechashaif" (sorcerer), or "Mashiach Sheker" (False Messiah), or "Dat Sheker" (False Religion), or "Klala" (curse). Popular rumors continue to link these terms with "Yeshua" and yet not one example to date has yet shown to be anything other than random chance.
None of the ELS names and phrases of other so called Messiahs that Rabbi Mechanic presents (such as Mohammed , Koresh, Lenin...) show any statistical significance. They have are random and expected to occur in any text.
It should be noted that research on the ELS phenomenon is still in its infancy. We should remain somewhat skeptical until more data has been researched.
| Special Notice: |
The purpose of this paper has been:
We wish to thank Jim Ober for his help in revising the first draft of this paper. Jim Ober has worked with statistical methods for about 20 years. He has a MS degree in Industrial Engineering with an emphasis on computer simulation and statistical process control.
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