joefritz@pawl.rpi.edu (Jochen M. Fritz) (12/19/89)
There is some mathematical evidence that the Bible is perfect.
By using the munerical equivalent of the Greek and Hebrew letters, very
strange and amazing patterns emerge. Prime numbers (especally 7) appear
*everywhere*: Number of nouns in a verse/chapter, sum of letters in nouns
sum of letters in a verse/chapter all have amagizing patterns. Namy of these
phrases all up to (guess) 777 (the number of God) To me, this shows that the
Bible must at very least be the inspired work of God. Considering the numerous
human authors, and the low probablly of the happening otherwise, there had
to be something.
Jochen Fritz ("Noah")mike@unmvax.cs.unm.edu (Michael I. Bushnell) (12/21/89)
In article <Dec.19.01.45.44.1989.14523@athos.rutgers.edu> joefritz@pawl.rpi.edu (Jochen M. Fritz) writes:
A bunch of gunk about how the Bible has mystical numeric properties relating
to the verse/chapter designations.
Many inerrantists are a bit hazy about just what in their Bible *is*
the "Bible" per se, and what is the addition of humans. The titles of the
books of the Old Testament in English Bibles are derivations of the
titles in the septuagint, with a few exceptions (such as Ezra/Nehemiah).
The title of the New Testament books were established by the time
of Augustine, but they were not part of the original letters.
What about chapter/verse designations? In the Old Testament, they are
found in the Masoretic Text, passed down by the Jews, but they are not
found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, suggesting that they were added sometime
near the first century A.D. The New Testament chapte/verse designations
were added near the time of Martin Luther, after the Reformation. The
best guess I've ever seen is that they were originally notations in the margin
of a printer's copy which were present in proofs to enable the translator
to make corrections. They inadvertently were retained in the published
version, and remain today. They are certainly *not* found in older Bibles.
The "Book of Kells" is an ancient copy of the Gospels from Britain, and has
no such designations. Reformation writers made reference occasionally to
the Old Testament by chapter/verse, but never the New Testament, suggesting
that the designations were not in common use. Chapter/verse designations in
the Apocrypha didn't appear until the Authorized Version, where they were
added.
I have even met people convinced that the little introductory blurbs at the
top of each book were inspiried scripture. Sigh.
--
Michael I. Bushnell \ This above all; to thine own self be true
LIBERTE, EGALITE, FRATERNITE \ And it must follow, as the night the day,
mike@unmvax.cs.unm.edu /\ Thou canst not be false to any man.
Telephone: +1 505 292 0001 / \ Farewell: my blessing season this in thee!