Gematria is one of several methods of assigning a
numerical value to a
Hebrew name, word or phrase based on its letters.
Gematria originated as an Assyro-Babylonian-Greek system of alphanumeric
code or
cipher that was later adopted into
Jewish culture.
People who practice gematria believe that words with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other or to the number itself. The number may apply to
nature, a person's age, the calendar year, or the like.
[citation needed] A single word can yield multiple values depending on the method used.
Similar systems have been used in other languages and cultures: earlier, the Greek
isopsephy, and later, derived from or inspired by Hebrew gematria, Arabic
abjad numerals, and English gematria.
A well-known example of Hebrew gematria is the word
chai ("alive"), which is composed of two letters that (using the assignments in the
Mispar gadol table shown below) add up to 18. This has made 18 a "
lucky number" among the Jewish people. Gifts of money in multiples of 18 are very popular
.
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