# Commandments 11-15? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300 "2003-02-11T05:28:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hocow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hocow/32/4112_2.png) [@hocow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hocow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/21 "2003-02-11T21:14:10Z")
i personally think its just an ad, completely irrelevant to the actual 10 Commandments or the bible. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/22 "2003-02-11T22:43:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by yabob \* > \*\*Note that in spite of the historical anachronism, it has been common artistic practice for Moses to be depicted with tablets bearing Roman numerals, and sometimes, as in this case, lettering which is either the Hebrew alphabet or intended to strongly suggest same. > > The question becomes whether the artist: > > 1 - Just made some squiggles thought to look right. > > 2 - Looked at the Hebrew alphabet, and just copied some characters. > > 3 - Used some Hebrew equivalent of “lorem ipsem” text. > > 4 - Actually said something. > > 4 is probably the least likely. I think Zev settled that it can’t be the real 10 commandments text. \*\* My guess is #3 is the answer, but it’s also possible that someone at the ad agency slipped a joke into the ‘text’ of one or more of the commandments, which would be fun to know, so thanks to Zev for offering to look at the ad. We all will just have to wait with bated breathe until The Word is handed down. (BTW – a couple of the commandments end with partial lines, which are flush right, so they at least realized it should be written right to left.) ---
**Author:** ![masafer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@masafer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masafer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/23 "2003-02-11T23:04:18Z")
I’ve seen the ad in question, and it’s definately gibberish. Not sure if it’s a popular gibberish like lorem ipsum, but the letter combinations don’t resemble any legitimate hebrew words. For example, some of the words are single letters, and not those letters that could legitimately be words in hebrew, yiddish or aramaic. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/24 "2003-02-12T19:26:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > **My guess is #3 is the answer, but it’s also possible that someone at the ad agency slipped a joke into the ‘text’ of one or more of the commandments, which would be fun to know, so thanks to Zev for offering to look at the ad. We all will just have to wait with bated breathe until The Word is handed down.** Would you laugh if it was Hebrew for “All your base are belong to us!!” ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/25 "2003-02-12T19:33:02Z")
**IT’S A COOKBOOK!!** oh, no, wait a minute, never mind. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/26 "2003-02-16T03:46:41Z")
OK. I got the ad (thanks **StarvingButStrong** ) and looked at it. The writing on all three tablets is Hebrew (aside from the Roman numerals). However, they are just random letters thrown together. Indeed, in Hebrew, there are five letters that have different forms depending on whether they appear in the middle of, or at the end of a word. However, in the ad, several “end only” letters in the middle of the words and several “middle only” letters appear at the ends of the words. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/27 "2003-02-16T04:01:26Z")
the final word. Thanks, Zev! ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/28 "2003-02-16T15:44:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StarvingButStrong \* > \*\*the final word. Thanks, Zev! \*\* You’re welcome. Do you want the ad back? Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/29 "2003-02-16T17:40:23Z")
Nope. Feel free to toss or frame, as you please. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300/30 "2003-02-16T17:47:10Z")
Jesus gave the 11th commandment himself, John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commandments-11-15/154300.md?page=1)