Every Word a Grain
Pinch to zoom in and see the picture more closely.
Every written word of the Hebrew Bible is one grain of sand. The first word of Genesis is at the centre, and the last word of Chronicles is at the edge. Each book makes its own ring, like the rings of a tree.
- Torah
- Prophets
- Writings
- Aramaic
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.Psalm 139:17-18 (ASV)
How this picture was made
The text
The Hebrew Bible as kept in the Leningrad Codex (the oldest complete Hebrew Bible), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. Every word in it is marked as Hebrew or Aramaic.
What was counted
Every written word: 305,507. A word is counted as it is written, with any small joined parts (such as "and" or "the") as part of it. Readings written in the margin are left out.
How it was drawn
The grains are laid on a sunflower spiral in reading order, Tanakh order. Every grain takes the same space, so each ring is as wide as its words. Aramaic words shine in their own colour.
What it shows
- Torah 79,982 words (26.2%), Prophets 141,513 (46.3%), Writings 84,012 (27.5%).
- 4,828 words are Aramaic (1.58%): Daniel 3,599, Ezra 1,212, Jeremiah 15 (Jeremiah 10:11), and Genesis 2 (Genesis 31:47). Look for the small speck in the gold centre and the one in the crimson ring.
What it does not show
A grain does not show which word it is. The spiral only keeps the order.