Subject: Re: Equidistant letters

From: "Kevin W. Woodruff" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 18:41:51 -0500 (EST)

Professor Minton:

Dr. James D. Price of Temple Baptist Seminary has done some work on the
subject. The claims that the advocates are outlandish. I suggest for more
details you contact Dr. Price at:

 [email-masked]

Kevin W. Woodruff

At 04:36 PM 2/7/97 -0600, you wrote:
>Is anyone familiar with an article in Statistical Science (Aug 94) or in 
>Bible Review (Oct 95) or The Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 
>152:1, 1988)?  I have received claims that amazing statistical sequences 
>in the Hebrew proves (even supernaturally so) the accuracy of the Masoretic 
>text and/or certain translations.  This seems mystical to me, but I have
>not seen the arguments.  Has anyone evaluated such claims?
>
>--
>Prof. Ron Minton: [email-masked]   W (417)268-6053  H 833-9581
>Baptist Bible Graduate School 628 E. Kearney St. Springfield, MO 65803
>
>
>

Kevin W. Woodruff
Library Director/Reference Librarian
Cierpke Memorial Library
Tennessee Temple University/Temple Baptist Seminary
1815 Union Ave. 
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37404
423/493-4252 (office)
423/698-9447 (home)
423/493-4497 (FAX)
[email-masked] (preferred)
[email-masked] (alternate)

---

From: [email-masked] (Nichael Lynn Cramer)
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 1997 16:12:33 -0500

Robert B. Waltz wrote:

>It seems to me that, *if* one accepts that assumption, [...]
>A secondary conclusion, it seems to me, is that Judaism is the
>divinely inspired religion, rather than Christianity.

And  more to the point, a latter more developed Judaism in which the MT arose.

>But, of course, this still ignores the other possibility: Coincidence.

Exactly so.

N

---

From: [email-masked] (Nichael Lynn Cramer)
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 1997 16:25:01 -0500

Maurice Robinson wrote:
>Nichael Lynn Cramer wrote:
>> Ronald L. Minton wrote:
>> > [...]  DR. Riplinger uses it to prove the [...]
>> [...] all that Dr Riplinger and the author of the BR
>Before any more of this "Dr Riplinger" nonsense gets out of hand, let me
>remind the entire group that Gail Riplinger only has an earned Master's
>degree in Interior Design, and is **NOT** a "Dr" in any legitimate sense
>of the word, let alone any type of authority in fields of textual
>criticism or statistical analysis. [...]

Dr Robinson

Thank you for the correction.

N

---

From: Curt Niccum <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 07:54:01 -0500

At some point, the two questions currently circulating converge, and the
point of convergence is apparently rather late. The equidistant letter
theory only works if the form of the MT published in BHS is viewed as
miraculously preserved. With regard to the Massoretes, they certainly
predate Codex Leningradensis, but "perfect" conformity seems to be a modern
requirement. 

If these questions are pushed forward in time, they take on a different
character. Any change in orthography or morphology in Genesis (both of which
are inconsistent in the text of Leningradensis itself) would destroy the
equidistant letter theory. This touches somewhat upon the scribal practices
in the history of the Hebrew Bible. The evidence from Qumran is certainly
enlightening (multiple text forms, widely divergent orthography and
morphology). For those who wish to dismiss it, however, the Amoraim set an
acceptable margin of error for their copies of scripture and the presence of
kethib/qere readings also attests to a tacit acceptance (though in an
unusual form) of textual error.

I have no doubt, however, that the proponents of this equidistant letter
theory will choose to employ it to "purify" the text which is where this
really intersects with textual criticism.

Curt Niccum

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 10:04:58 -0500 (EST)

Curt Niccum wrote:

<< At some point, the two questions currently circulating converge, and the
 requirement. >>

The text used by the ELS [Equidistant Letter Spacing] theory is not the BHS
text but the Koren text. This text differs from the BHS text in about 142
places with respect to the consonants. The electronic Koren text is purported
to be the exact replication of the official text used in synagogs throughout
the world.

 <<snip>>
 
<< I have no doubt, however, that the proponents of this equidistant letter
 theory will choose to employ it to "purify" the text which is where this
 really intersects with textual criticism. >>
 
This is not likely so, because the Orthodox Jewish community regards the
Koren (synagog) text to be perfectly preserved from the hand of Moses.

Sincerely,
James D. Price

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 06:16:17 -0500 (EST)

Harold Scanlin wrote:
<< If I recall, the elusive article mentioned early in the current thread
 appeared in _Statistical Science_, by Witztum, et al., 9(1994):429-438. 
 This article, along with a number of other items on ELS, is available at
         http://www.opendoor.com/HigherGround/proof.html

Unfortunately, that copy does not contain the appendix that greatly helps to
understand the statistics.
James D. Price