- Theomatics
Theomatics is a numerological study of the Greek and Hebrew text of the
Christian Bible , based upongematria andisopsephia , that its proponents assert demonstrates the direct intervention ofGod in the writing of Christian scripture.Etymology
The term "theomatics" was invented by
Del Washburn in1976 , who coined the name "theomatics" as a combination of "" ("God") and "", and wrote several books [The three books are:
*cite book|author=Jerry Lucas and Del Washburn|title=Theomatics: God's Best Kept Secret Revealed|year=1986|publisher=Stein & Day Pub|id=ISBN 0-8128-6017-9
*cite book|author=Del Washburn|title=Theomatics II : God's Best-Kept Secret Revealed|year=1994|publisher=Scarborough House|id=ISBN 0-8128-4023-2
*cite book|author=Del Washburn|title=The Original CODE in the BIBLE|year=1994|publisher=Madison Books|id=ISBN 1-56833-115-0They have sold approximately 100,000 copies in hard cover editions.Fact|date=February 2007] and created a website [cite web|author=Del Washburn|url=http://www.theomatics.com/theomatics/whatis.html|title=What is Theomatics?|accessdate=2006-12-09] espousing the hypothesis.Methodology
Theomatics is not the same thing as
Bible code ; it uses an entirely different technique. The Bible code (also called ELS for Equidistant Letter Sequences) uses a letter skipping technique. Theomatics, on the other hand, is based ongematria andisopsephia , systems which assign numerical values to letters in the ancient Hebrew and Greek alphabets.Proponents of theomatics claim that an analysis of the Bible reveals numerical patterns that are not explicable by chance.
Controversy
An analysis and criticism of theomatics has been published anonymously by "A. B. Leever" [cite web|author=A. B. Leever|url=http://www.ableever.net/Apologetics/Theomatics/theomatics.html|title=Theomatics|accessdate=October 10|accessyear=2005] .
A German statistician published an analysis [cite web|author=Kurt Fettelschoss|url=http://www.theomatics.net/contents.html|title=Table of Contents|work=Theomatics|accessdate=2006-12-09] that found that "The observed quantity of theomatic hits is significantly not random". [cite web|author=Kurt Fettelschoss|url=http://theomatics.net/cover.html|title=Cover letter|accessdate=2006-12-09] His findings led Del Washburn to write that theomatics is "an issue that has been settled and is both determinate and conclusive". [cite web|author=Del Washburn|url=http://theomatics.net/index.html|title=Statement regarding Fettelschoss' analysis|accessdate=2006-12-09] A response to the findings was posted by A. B. Leever. [cite web|author=A. B. Leever|url=http://www.ableever.net/Apologetics/Theomatics/Theom-Lk15/Theom-Lk15-Response/theom-lk15-response.html|title=Response to Fettelschoss|accessdate=2006-12-09]
Another page, entitled "Theomatics Debunked" [cite web|author=Russell Glasser|url=http://www.apollowebworks.com/atheism/theomatics.html|title=Theomatics Debunked|accessdate=October 10|accessyear=2005] , criticizes theomatics from an atheist perspective.
Washburn's website has a page entitled "Scientific Proof" [cite web | author=Del Washburn|url=http://www.theomatics.com/theomatics/proof.html|title=Scientific Proof of the Discovery|accessdate=2005-10-10] which discusses and responds to potential arguments against theomatics.
References
Further reading
*
* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/biblcode1.htm Theomatics and Other Bible Codes] fromOntario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
* [http://skepdic.com/bibcode.html Bible Code] from theSkeptic's Dictionary See also
*
Bible code
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