# Does anyone think Bible Code software works? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 7, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256 "2012-12-07T01:18:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![missyzilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9a28c/32.png) [@missyzilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missyzilly)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/1 "2012-12-07T01:18:43Z")
Torah soft , or some other type? If so did you find anything worth talking about? ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/2 "2012-12-07T01:44:02Z")
The problem is not with the software ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/3 "2012-12-07T01:44:32Z")
“Bible code”? It’s all worthless, software or not. A fraud. Well, multiple frauds, given how long various versions have been around. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/4 "2012-12-07T01:55:05Z")
It only “works” when you already know what to look for, in other words, Woo Woo. [http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The\_Bible\_Code](http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/The_Bible_Code) > [@](#): > > Pure woo in its purest form > > This is, of course, pure woo on the same level as uncovering backward masking in rock songs or retroactively applying the prophecies of Nostradamus to recent events. **Drosnin claims to have applied the algorithm to War and Peace and found nothing, but some have since applied the same computer algorithm to find hidden codes in other books such as Moby Dick,[2] The Lord of The Rings series and the lyrics of Vanilla Ice.[3]** Naturally, prophecies, codes and other secrets were also discovered in these non-religious texts. Beyond the fact that literally any sequence of words can be found in the Bible, the problem is that no “prophetic” sequence of words has ever been discovered until after the events foretold have transpired. In these cases, none of the prophecies can be said to have predictive value, but rather they are indicative of “retroactive shoehorning”. > > Recently, Drosnin has shied away from using it predictively. Although he has stopped short of publically admitting that it’s a statistical certainty that if you look in the right way, you can find anything in anything.[4] > “”I don’t think the code makes predictions. I think it reveals probabilities. so I can’t say what will happen in the next five years. also it is not a crystal ball – you can’t just ask the Bible to tell you about tomorrow or next year. You can only find what you know how to look for – you must have some idea of what you’re looking for. > > Nonetheless, the book was a best seller, and Michael Drosnin has so far managed to milk the material for no less than two sequels and many TV documentaries (although most now are made to refute the “code”). In the best example of “retroactive shoehorning” it should be noted that the The Bible Code (published in 1997) did not “predict” the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, while The Bible Code 2 (published in 2002) did. Must be because you need to “have some idea of what you’re looking for”, clearly. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/5 "2012-12-07T02:46:18Z")
If there were a very certain formal letter-by-letter version of “The Bible,” then, maybe. But there are too many ambiguities. For instance, ancient Hebrew (as I understand it) doesn’t have vowels, but sometimes has vowel marks, where the vowels would go. Do these count as letters, or not? And does Hebrew have spaces between words? The typical “Bible Code” analysis leaves out the spaces…but is this valid? Do you include the titles of books? (Do original Hebrew books even have titles written?) Just for fun, to kill some time, I analyzed Daniel Defoe’s “A Journal of the Plague Year,” taking out all the spaces and punctuation, to see if my name would come up. I used all the letter-spacing and starting places I could. Alas, nope. I’m not in “The Plague Year” code. This may be a good thing. I wanted to do the same for Tolkien’s “Silmarillion,” but couldn’t find a flat text file. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/6 "2012-12-07T04:08:31Z")
> [@missyzilly](#): > > Torah soft , or some other type? If so did you find anything worth talking about? If I might make a suggestion-_Just sit down and read the book._ ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2012, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/7 "2012-12-07T05:51:44Z")
That’s so…so…ostensible. ---
**Author:** ![missyzilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9a28c/32.png) [@missyzilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missyzilly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/8 "2012-12-08T05:29:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > If I might make a suggestion-_Just sit down and read the book._ And I have read it .I just find God fasinating . If this code really works then I would like to dig even deeper into his word. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/9 "2012-12-08T05:35:53Z")
Trouble is…it doesn’t. It doesn’t work worth a clam. In any large book, if you examine every N characters, starting from character M, for all values of N and M, you will end up getting some hits. You’ll find words and phrases. This is true if you examine the Bible, or Kipling, or The Naked Lunch, or Harry Potter. It’s just the way things work. You’ll get lots and lots of meaningless letter combinations, and the occasional rare coincidental word. Heck, it works if you just scan the phone book. It’s a fun _game_ to play, if you simply look at it as mindless entertainment. The same is true of the Ouija Board. If you are bored, and like to shove the planchette around, well, no harm. But it won’t put you in touch with dear departed Uncle Filbert. And Bible Code toys won’t put you in touch with the mind of God. Prayer might (although I personally do not believe in it.) Some people say they see God when they take drugs. (I hold this to be a really silly idea…and dangerous, too.) ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/10 "2012-12-08T05:35:59Z")
[The Master Speaks on the topic.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1915/whats-up-with-the-bible-code) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/11 "2012-12-08T05:36:40Z")
If you process the code all the way through it always gives you the same message. Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. ---
**Author:** ![missyzilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9a28c/32.png) [@missyzilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missyzilly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/12 "2012-12-08T06:31:57Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > If you process the code all the way through it always gives you the same message. > > Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. That was AWSOME! I laughed so hard I had tears! ---
**Author:** ![missyzilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9a28c/32.png) [@missyzilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missyzilly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/13 "2012-12-08T06:39:37Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > [The Master Speaks on the topic.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1915/whats-up-with-the-bible-code) Maybe I will just get a pet rock. Thank you ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/14 "2012-12-08T15:00:42Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > [The Master Speaks on the topic.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1915/whats-up-with-the-bible-code) Sorry, Dex. It was late and I missed that it was a Staff Report. ('Course, the Master trained you good.) ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/15 "2012-12-08T21:46:09Z")
> [@missyzilly](#): > > Maybe I will just get a pet rock. Thank you Low maintenance, low cost, and very useful in squishing bugs… More seriously, take up the hobby, not only of reading the Bible, but also of reading Bible commentary. Go for breadth. Find some that are conservative, some that are liberal, some that are faith-based, and some that are skeptical. I have a substantial collection, and I’m always adding to it. I vigorously disagree with more than half of what I have read…but I keep reading. Also…why stop with the Bible? The Koran is a very small, short, easy-to-read book. You could probably polish it off in a day or two. The Book of Mormon…um…not so much, but I’ve gotten through parts of it! ---
**Author:** ![Clampet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@Clampet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clampet)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/16 "2013-08-27T01:43:26Z")
I actually have used the software on my own computer- After watching a movie about Joan of Arc- I searched for her under her real name then another version- I finally found her under the term 'Joan of arc" attached to her was the terms Evie and Michael- Michael being the angel that guided her on her path- evie possibly referring to the soul that came back to do that work for god- Also you can find terms like trinity and father and son in close proximity- Michael being here at the time of crucifixion- because the Michael matrixes also contain evie and barabass- also Diapers (which suggests that’s not a sash he was wearing) I did here from the divine - although most would not necessarily believe- as he explained it - The book is a living breathing instrument of time and space- it becomes encoded with the decisions we make- It is in essence his book of life. there have been plenty of other things that I have found- but those are a few of the examples- just food for thought ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/17 "2013-08-27T01:47:49Z")
> [@Clampet](#): > > I actually have used the software on my own computer- > > After watching a movie about Joan of Arc- I searched for her under her real name then another version- I finally found her under the term 'Joan of arc" attached to her was the terms Evie and Michael- Michael being the angel that guided her on her path- evie possibly referring to the soul that came back to do that work for god- > > Also you can find terms like trinity and father and son in close proximity- Michael being here at the time of crucifixion- because the Michael matrixes also contain evie and barabass- also Diapers (which suggests that’s not a sash he was wearing) > > I did here from the divine - although most would not necessarily believe- as he explained it - The book is a living breathing instrument of time and space- it becomes encoded with the decisions we make- It is in essence his book of life. > > there have been plenty of other things that I have found- but those are a few of the examples- just food for thought Not enough food there to choke an inchworm with laryngitis. Nobody has ever predicted anything of substance using the Bible Code. ---
**Author:** ![Clampet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@Clampet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clampet)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/18 "2013-08-27T01:54:12Z")
actually a few things have been stopped thanks to it- and I have actually used the software- its very difficult to predict if it becomes a record of the past and the choices you made- ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/19 "2013-08-27T02:01:30Z")
> [@Clampet](#): > > actually a few things have been stopped thanks to it- Such as…? ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256/20 "2013-08-27T02:03:59Z")
Every serious Bible scholar I have ever read that talked about it said it’s a sham, it’s a hoax, it’s a fraud. No. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-think-bible-code-software-works/643256.md?page=2)