The Bible Code (book)
Encyclopedia
The Bible Code is a best-selling book
by Michael Drosnin
, first published in 1997. A sequel, The Bible Code II, was published in 2002 and also reached best-seller status.
Drosnin describes an alleged "Bible code
", in which messages are encoded in the Hebrew bible
. The messages are purported to be hidden in the Torah, and can be deciphered by placing the letters of various Torah passages at equal intervals in a text that has been formatted to fit inside a graph.
Drosnin suggests that the Code was written by extraterrestrial life
(which he claims also brought the DNA
of the human genetic code
to Earth). Drosnin elaborates on this theory in The Bible Code II, suggesting that the alien who brought the code left the key to the code in a steel obelisk. Drosnin attempted to find this obelisk, which he believes is buried near the Dead Sea.
Drosnin's book is based on the technique described in the paper "Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis" by Professor Eliyahu Rips
of the Hebrew University in Israel with Doron Witztum and Yoav Rosenberg.
The Bible Code makes numerous predictions and post-diction, such as the coming (not having come to pass) of the apocalypse
in 2006, and "proof" that Lee Harvey Oswald
was destined to assassinate John F. Kennedy
.
Skeptical:
Media coverage:
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
by Michael Drosnin
Michael Drosnin
Michael Drosnin is an American journalist and author, best known for his writings on the Bible code.Drosnin was born in New York City. He worked as a journalist for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal...
, first published in 1997. A sequel, The Bible Code II, was published in 2002 and also reached best-seller status.
Drosnin describes an alleged "Bible code
Bible code
The Bible code , also known as the Torah code, is a purported set of secret messages encoded within the text Hebrew Bible and describing prophesies and other guidance regarding the future. This hidden code has been described as a method by which specific letters from the text can be selected to...
", in which messages are encoded in the Hebrew bible
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible is a term used by biblical scholars outside of Judaism to refer to the Tanakh , a canonical collection of Jewish texts, and the common textual antecedent of the several canonical editions of the Christian Old Testament...
. The messages are purported to be hidden in the Torah, and can be deciphered by placing the letters of various Torah passages at equal intervals in a text that has been formatted to fit inside a graph.
Drosnin suggests that the Code was written by extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
(which he claims also brought the DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
of the human genetic code
Genetic code
The genetic code is the set of rules by which information encoded in genetic material is translated into proteins by living cells....
to Earth). Drosnin elaborates on this theory in The Bible Code II, suggesting that the alien who brought the code left the key to the code in a steel obelisk. Drosnin attempted to find this obelisk, which he believes is buried near the Dead Sea.
Drosnin's book is based on the technique described in the paper "Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis" by Professor Eliyahu Rips
Eliyahu Rips
Eliyahu Rips, also Ilya Rips is a Latvian-born Israeli mathematician known for his research in geometric group theory. He became known to the general public following his coauthoring a paper on the Torah Code....
of the Hebrew University in Israel with Doron Witztum and Yoav Rosenberg.
The Bible Code makes numerous predictions and post-diction, such as the coming (not having come to pass) of the apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
in 2006, and "proof" that Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
was destined to assassinate John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
.
External links
Promoting bible codes:- Postdiction of Christmas Tsunami, from http://www.biblecodedigest.com/Bible Code Digest
Skeptical:
- "Scientific Refutation of the Bible Codes" by Brendan McKayBrendan McKayBrendan Damien McKay is a Professor in the Research School of Computer Science at the Australian National University . He has published extensively in combinatorics....
(Computer Science, Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
) and others - Bible Code page from Dror Bar-Natan (Mathematics, University of TorontoUniversity of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
) - The Bible Code: A Book Review by Allyn Jackson, Notices of the AMS September 1997, who ascribes the Statistical Science paper mentioned in the article to "sloppy refereeing and poor editorial policy"; this review is immediately followed by Comments on the Bible Code by Shlomo SternbergShlomo SternbergShlomo Zvi Sternberg is a leading mathematician, known for his work in geometry, particularly symplectic geometry and the differential geometry of G-structures....
, who calls this paper a "hoax"; the American Mathematical SocietyAmerican Mathematical SocietyThe American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
is the professional society for mathematicians in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - On the Witztum-Rips-Rosenberg Sample of Nations, by Dror Bar-Natan, Brendan McKay, and Shlomo Sternberg
- THE BIBLE CODE from Ralph Greenberg (Mathematics, University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
) - Hidden Messages and The Bible Code from Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, publisher of Skeptical InquirerSkeptical InquirerThe Skeptical Inquirer is a bimonthly American magazine published by the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry with the subtitle: The magazine for science and reason....
Magazine - Shocking New Codes Found in Drosnin Sequel!, from New Mexicans for Science and Reason, more debunking by exhibiting silly "coded messages"
Media coverage:
- The Bible Code, transcript of a story which aired on BBC Two, Thursday 20 November 2003, featuring comments by Drosnin, Rips, and McKay.
Related literature
- Michael Drosnin. The Bible Code. (USA Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0-684-81079-4) (UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1997 ISBN 0-297-81995-X)
- Michael Drosnin. The Bible Code II: The Countdown. (USA Viking Books, 2002 ISBN 0-670-03210-7) (UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2002 ISBN 0-297-84249-8)
- Michael Drosnin. The Bible Code III: The Quest. (UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Forthcoming 2006 ISBN 0-297-84784-8 )
- Jeffrey SatinoverJeffrey SatinoverJeffrey Burke Satinover is an American psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and physicist. He is well-known for books on a number of controversial topics in physics and neuroscience, and on religion, but especially for his writing and public-policy efforts relating to homosexuality, same-sex marriage and...
: "Cracking the Bible Code". Wm Morrow, 1997. ISBN 0-688-15463-8. Appeared slightly later, follows a more historical and traditional route.