The Wilderness Encampment
by Steven Coneglan

The Wilderness Encampment of the tribes is described at the first three chapters of the Book of Numbers.
A careful reading of the first three chapters of Numbers gives us a sense of the orientation of the Encampment.
Chapter 2 presents us with the orientation of the 12 tribes, forming the perimeter of the Encampment.
Chapter 3 deals with the four divisions of the tribe of Levi, and their orientation at the centre of the Encampment, surrounding the tabernacle.

The first point of note is that Joseph is represented in his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh.
The second point of note is that Levi has been moved to the centre, and is represented by four divisions: Aaron, Kohath, Gershon and Merari.
Thus, Joseph (156) and Levi (46) are removed from the gematria count.

The gematria sum of the 12 tribes at Numbers 2 = 3700.

The gematria sum of the four divisions of Levi surrounding the tabernacle = 1776.

Orientation of these 16 names - 12 at the perimeter, 4 at the centre - is quite a simple matter.
For our template, we take a 4 x 4 square.
We then rotate the square 45 degrees to get a diamond shape.
Next, we fill out each of the 16 cells with a name and its gematrical equivalent.
Starting at 1 o'clock, and proceeding clockwise, the 12 perimeter values are:

Naphtali = 570
Issachar = 830
Judah = 30
Zebulun = 95
Simeon = 466
Reuben = 259
Gad = 7
Manasseh = 395
Ephraim 331
Benjamin = 162
Asher = 501
Dan = 54

The last perimeter value is Dan, which is at the top at 12 o'clock.
All that remains is to fill in the values for the 4 inner cells.
This is simple, as it is also dependent on the text of Numbers 3.
Starting at 12 o'clock, the 4 inner cells depicting the levitical divisions are:

12 o'clock: Merari = 450
3 o'clock: Aaron = 262
6 o'clock: Kohath = 505
9 o'clock: Gershon = 559

All 16 cells are now completed.


Results

 

Comparison With Genetic Data

It will be observed that the North-South axis is divisible by 703 (x 4).
Further, the East-West axis is divisible by 666 (x 4).
These features are reflected in your 4 x 5 table of the molecular weights for the 20 canonical amino acids.
In your table, columns 1 + 4 = 2 x 703 (less 0.37).
Columns 2 + 3 = 2 x 666 (plus 0.37).
The parallels are there, and are compelling.
The Wilderness Encampment data are simply double that of the AA molecular weight table.

It is of some import that the data relating to the tribes of Israel should have so much in common with the genetic code data.
It begs the question of whether God was encoding physical and biological information into the text of Scripture.
If so, what might this tell us about Israel, and God's plan?
These are but the beginnings of questions.

 

The Tabernacle

The centre of the Wilderness Encampment bears the number 1776.
This number represents the four levitical divisions, the sanctified of Israel, encamped around the tabernacle.
In a sense, it is a holy number, and, by association with Levi, represents service and priesthood to both God and man.

1776 = 2 x 888.
In keeping with the theme of the Encampment numbers being double those of the 4 x 5 AA grid, the number 1776 is most suggestive.
Being the double of 888, the name of Jesus lies within the number 1776.

The East-West axis sum of 2664 also factorises as 888 x 3.
It consists of the three tribes in the West, the two levitical divisions at centre, and the three tribes in the East.
The three tribes in the West sum as 331 + 395 + 162 = 888.
It follows that the five remaining names sum to 1776.

There are so many converging phenomena between the genetic code data and the data relating to the sons and tribes of Israel.
It does not seem to be coincidence.
There are enough points of contact to argue for a common authorship.
The Genesis 1:1 data supplement these connections, strengthening the case for a common design.
It will be fascinating to see where these patterns lead next.

Stephen
 

Notes:

This is dependent on two matters of orthographical choice.
First, the name Zebulun is spelt defective, with one vav omitted, thereby giving it a value of 95.
I prefer to omit the first vav in order to harmonise the spelling with all the other Encampment names having the vav-nun suffix.
(Zebulun, Simeon, Aaron, and Gershon.)
The name Zebulun, as you know, is spelt three different ways in the Hebrew Bible.
The doubly plene spelling, which gives a sum of 101, occurs but once, but represents the name in its fullness.
Second, the name Benjamin is spelt plene, and has a value of 162.
The name Benjamin often omits the second yod in its orthography in the Hebrew Bible, its value thereby dropping to 152.

This is dependent on a single matter of orthographical choice, and on an awareness of the divisions of Levi throughout the history of Israel.
First, the name Aaron is spelt plene.
In the Masoretic Text, Aaron is always spelt defective, with omission of the vav.
The lemma version, however, is always spelt plene.
On researching this point, I learnt a good deal concerning the history of transmission of the Hebrew text.
Five hundred years ago, there were a number of different spellings in various Hebrew text families.
When a scribe had to make a choice between text families, the rule of thumb was to copy exactly what was in front of him.
Only later did the issue of standardisation of the text become paramount.
The name Aaron was spelt plene at Exodus 29:15, and details surrounding this issue have an interesting history.
B. Barry Levy (2001: 23), in his Fixing God's Torah, relates the canvassing of rabbinical thought on this matter in the early 17th century.
The consensus opinion was the name should be left as it is, and should be spelt plene at Exodus 29:15.

The second point concerns the division of Aaron and Moses.
As subsequent history attests, this division of Levi should be named after Aaron.
From Aaron came the high priest, with Moses living amongst the Aaronites.
Thus, the fourth division of Levi is named after Aaron, with a value of 262, the plene spelling.

It will be noted that, in the 12 tribes, the name Zebulun is spelt defective.
Against this, at the centre, the name Aaron is spelt plene.
While this is a potential weakness in the numerical statistics that follow, it is nonetheless permissible according to the Hebrew orthography of the Bible.

Concerning the Wilderness Encampment grid, it is fascinating that it represents basic multiples of 37 in such symmetrically discrete groupings.
Of course, these are dependent on three orthographical choices.
For me, it is not the concept of number juggling that is at issue here, although that would definitely be an issue for others.
Rather, it is the concept that orthographical choice is left open at discrete points.
This allows for adjustment within the system in respect of the primary integer, 37.
The results, I think, should be allowed to speak for themselves, with the caveat that issues relating to orthography be discussed.

1776 is most prominent today as the birth year of America, God's premier missionary nation.
It is stamped on the base of the Great Pyramid on the reverse of the Great Seal in Latin gematria: MDCCLXXVI.
The Great Pyramid is the quintessential symbol of Egypt, where Israel was formed.
The Eye of Providence above the Great Pyramid is the same as the Hebrew ayin Yahweh, found at Psalm 33:18.
The Hebrew word ayin means 'eye', and is also the same name as the 16th Hebrew letter, ayin, which has a value of 70.
Interestingly, there were 70 souls of Israel who went down into Egypt (Genesis 46:27).
Just as interesting is the fact that the word ayin, used as a proper noun, occurs exactly 888 times in the Old Testament.
This figure excludes all instances where ayin is used as part of a proper name, as (part of) a toponym, and as a derivative noun (mayin).