How gematria works

Gematria is an ancient technique for interpreting words and phrases in the Bible and other Jewish texts. It uses simple arithmetic and assigns numerical values to each of the Hebrew alphabet's letters, which can then be used to decode hidden meanings in words or create codes. Many believe this practice dates back thousands of years and has been used by rabbis, kabbalists, and other religious scholars to reveal hidden truths within the scriptures.

The main concept behind gematria is that every word has a unique numerical value that can be determined by adding up the numerical values of the letters it contains. For example, "God" in Hebrew is spelled- אלהים (alef-lamed-hei-yod-mem). According to traditional gematria calculations, this word adds up to 86 (1 + 30 + 5 + 10 + 40). This number is thought to represent certain aspects of God's essence, such as His power, justice, and mercy.

If we use gematria on other words or phrases from scripture we can derive different meanings from them as well. The word אברהם (alef-beit-resh-hei-mem), which means "Abraham" has a numerical value of 248 (1 + 2 + 200 + 8 + 37). In Judaism this number is seen as symbolic of Jewish spirituality since Abraham was the first Jewish patriarch.

Other gematria calculations have been used to interpret historical events or actions throughout history. For instance, some believe that when 251 Jews were killed in an attack on Jerusalem in 1119 CE—the numerical value for חרבות ירושלים (chet-reish-beit-vav-tav - yud-reish - Sheen – lamed - mem) was 666 (8+ 200+ 2+ 6+ 400+ 10+ 30+ 40). This number has been linked to the Antichrist and was thought by some at the time to be a sign that he would soon emerge during those difficult times.

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