The problem is that the Bible Code would only work if the Hebrew text they are using is letter-for-letter identical with the original Hebrew autographs.
And as excellent as the Hebrew Masoretic text is, there ARE minor variants in the manuscripts. More importantly, there have been orthographic (spelling) changes in the Hebrew consonantal text over the centuries.
In particular, as the written language developed, four consonants came to be used as vowel letters. These are called matres lectiones. They can be thought of as vowel holders. There is wild variation in the orthography of words. Plene (full) spelling has the word spelled out with the additional letter. Defective spelling does not have the additional letter.
For the purposes of the Bible Code, even ONE variant in spelling in the text will throw off the entire sequence of skip intervals. There are numerous plene/defective orthographic variants; moreover, the original text would have had NO plene spellings at all --- use of the matres lectiones was a later development.
But what I think is a really interesting twist is that one of the major defenders and researchers into the Bible Code is a JW! No kidding! But the official WTS website condemns the Bible Code. So how come this guy is still in good standing?
I have the man's name and website info somewhere if anyone is interested, as well as titles of books on Hebrew orthography.
Marjorie
