95
Q.
Are there secret codes embedded in scripture?
Christian Piatt
Who is...
?
Christian Piatt
The tendon in my left pinky nger is too short,
which makes my nger permanently crooked.A.
There are countless theories about secret codes embedded in texts
of the Bible, but the best known is the Kabbalistic—or ancient mys-
tical Jewish—belief that the true name of God is embedded in the
book of Exodus, specifi cally in Exodus 2:18 through 3:7.
As I wrote in my book Lost: A Search for Meaning, God’s name accord-
ing to Kabbalah “is represented by the letters ‘YHVH,’ generally pronounced
‘Yahweh,’ or ‘Yahveh.’ The Hebrew word ‘Adonai’ is used as a reference to
God in scripture, but it is not actually the name of God.”
Kabbalah teaches that God’s name actually is 216 letters long and is
embedded in the book of Exodus as a code. There are three verses in Exodus
14:19–21, each of which is seventy-two letters in length. By combining the let-
ters in certain patterns, an algorithm is developed that is the key to knowing
God’s true name.
Not to be mistaken for this interpretation of sacred texts is another
ancient Jewish practice of interpretation called “midrash.” Still practiced today
by many religious scholars, preachers, and even laity in the Jewish and Chris-
tian faiths, midrash does not focus on embedded codes but, rather, helps guide
readers through the process of revealing multiple meanings within a single
text. These may include literal, historic/cultural, mystical, and other interpre-
tations, and often times no single interpretation is considered the “right” one.
Though humanity seems obsessed with deciphering hidden meaning
nearly anywhere we can fi nd it, a point is well-taken from Jesus when he is
asked about the end of the world. His response, to paraphrase, is that no one,
including him, knows when such things will take place. Further, it’s not our
business to waste energy worrying about it.
Scriptural References
Exodus 2:18—3:7; 14:19–21