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    <action_text><![CDATA[gave 5 stars to: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6653669-roots-of-the-bible">Roots of the Bible</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/798113.Friedrich_Weinreb">Friedrich Weinreb</a>]]></action_text>
    <link>http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78938812</link>
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    <updated_at>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:10:38 -0800</updated_at>
        
      
          <body><![CDATA[Years ago when I was in a religious institute class at Utah State, one of the great teachers I had shared with the class the concepts behind something called gematria, which is a system of examining the meaning behind the language of words and numbers in the Hebrew language. In a conversation with t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/Years%20ago%20when%20I%20was%20in%20a%20religious%20institute%20class%20at%20Utah%20State,%20one%20of%20the%20great%20teachers%20I%20had%20shared%20with%20the%20class%20the%20concepts%20behind%20something%20called%20gematria,%20which%20is%20a%20system%20of%20examining%20the%20meaning%20behind%20the%20language%20of%20words%20and%20numbers%20in%20the%20Hebrew%20language.%20In%20a%20conversation%20with%20this%20teacher%20he%20told%20me%20to%20get%20a%20copy%20of%20the%20out-of-print%20book%20%E2%80%9CRoots%20of%20the%20Bible%E2%80%9D%20by%20Friedrich%20Weinreb%20and%20he%20gave%20me%20a%20reference%20to%20a%20man%20who%20was%20translating%20other%20of%20Weinreb%E2%80%99s%20works%20into%20English.%20I%20called%20this%20individual%20and%20he%20had%20one%20spare%20copy%20he%20sold%20me.%20For%20the%20last%2015%20years%20I%E2%80%99ve%20waited%20knowing%20someday%20I%E2%80%99d%20read%20the%20book%20and%20I%20finally%20felt%20the%20time%20was%20right%20recently%20and%20dove%20in.%20Here%E2%80%99s%20a%20smattering%20of%20what%20I%E2%80%99ve%20learned.%0A%0AThe%20Bible%20absolutely%20proves%20the%20existence%20of%20a%20God%20beyond%20all%20doubt.%20No%20mortal%20could%20have%20come%20up%20with%20a%20system%20so%20complex%20and%20amazing%20as%20that%20of%20the%20Hebrew%20language%20and%20assigned%20words%20numeric%20value%20that%20tell%20such%20an%20intricate%20story%20behind%20the%20scenes.%20A%20full%20treatise%20on%20the%20book%20isn%E2%80%99t%20possible,%20nor%20can%20I%20do%20it%20justice%20in%20a%20few%20paragraphs,%20but%20I%20will%20share%20a%20few%20highlights.%0A%0ATo%20begin,%20the%20Hebrew%20language%20consists%20of%2022%20consonants%20which%20all%20have%20meaning.%20The%20structure%20of%20a%20word%20that%20has%20different%20vowels%20but%20the%20same%20consonants%20as%20another%20word,%20changes%20the%20image,%20but%20not%20the%20core%20structure%20of%20the%20word.%20It%20is%20this%20structure%20that%20tells%20all.%0A%0AThe%20number%201,%20represented%20by%20the%20first%20letter%20in%20the%20alphabet%20%E2%80%9Caleph%E2%80%9D%20represents%20God,%20the%20unity%20of%20all%20things.%20The%20number%202,%20%E2%80%9Cbeth,%E2%80%9D%20represents%20the%20duality%20as%20the%201%20creates%20something%20opposite%20himself.%20When%20the%202%20multiplies%20into%20further%20life,%20the%20next%20extension,%20it%20becomes%20a%204,%20so%20the%20natural%20progression%20of%20things%20created%20is%201-2-4.%20%0A%0AIt%20is%20shown%20by%20the%20author%20over%20and%20over%20that%20in%20the%20creation,%20things%20go%20from%201-4,%20or%20from%20God%E2%80%99s%20perfect%20world,%20into%20something%20created%20which%20in%20turn%20creates%20on%20it%E2%80%99s%20own%20and%20thus%20became%20%E2%80%9Cas%20the%20God%E2%80%99s%E2%80%9D%20knowing%20good%20and%20evil.%0A%0AThis%20amazing%20structure%20is%20seen%20in%20many%20ways.%20One%20set%20of%20this%20proportion%20is%20shown%20not%20just%20in%20language,%20but%20in%20relative%20proportions.%20%E2%80%9CThe%20tree%20of%20life%E2%80%9D%20has%20a%20structural%20value%20of%20233%20when%20the%20values%20of%20the%20words%20are%20added%20together.%20%E2%80%9CThe%20tree%20of%20*the*%20knowledge%20of%20good%20and%20evil%E2%80%9D%20has%20a%20value%20of%20932.%20Comparing%20these%20values%20we%20see%20a%201%20to%204%20ratio.%20The%20word%20%E2%80%9Cthe%E2%80%9D%20which%20I%E2%80%99ve%20denoted%20does%20not%20appear%20in%20the%20King%20James%20Version%20of%20the%20Bible,%20but%20Weinreb%20says%20it%20does%20exist%20in%20the%20source%20material%20he%20has%20and%20points%20out%20that%20without%20the%20%E2%80%9Cthe%E2%80%9D%20in%20the%20phrase,%20it%20would%20change%20the%20value%20of%20the%20structure%20and%20thus%20alter%20the%20meaning%20of%20the%20language.%20This%20insertion%20gives%20a%20different%20flavor%20to%20the%20name%20and%20function%20of%20the%20tree.%0A%0APutting%20this%20into%20symbolic%20terms,%20the%20tree%20of%20life%20represents%20God%20while%20the%20tree%20of%20the%20knowledge%20of%20good%20and%20evil%20represents%20the%20multiplicity%20of%20God%E2%80%99s%20creations.%20%20The%20author%20spends%20considerable%20time%20building%20up%20to%20this%20understanding%20which%20is%20all%20good%20preparation%20and%20would%20no%20doubt%20be%20easier%20to%20comprehend%20through%20his%20build-up%20than%20my%20shortened%20explanation,%20but%20here%20are%20a%20few%20highlights%20which%20help%20to%20make%20sense%20of%20this%20concept.%0A%0AThe%20Hebrew%20word%20for%20man%20is%20denoted%201-4-40.%20Truth%20is%201-40-400%20showing%20similar%20proportions%20to%20man.%20Weinreb%20explains%20the%2040%20and%20400%20are%20simply%20the%204%20in%20another%20plane.%20Now%20this%20gets%20fascinating%20as%20by%20removing%20the%201%20from%20man%20so%20we%20just%20have%204-40,%20we%20obtain%20the%20structure%20of%20the%20word%20for%20blood.%20Without%20the%201,%20or%20the%20tree%20of%20life,%20we%20are%20blood%20alone,%20missing%20out%20on%20the%201.%20When%20we%20drop%20the%201%20from%20truth,%20we%20have%2040-400,%20or%20the%20structure%20of%20the%20word%20for%20death.%20Without%20the%20tree%20of%20life,%20we%20experience%20death%20which%20is%20the%20ultimate%20multiplicity%20of%20creation%20shown%20as%20the%204%20in%20higher%20planes.%20(ie.%20Ultimate%20spiritual%20death).%0A%0AOne%20more%20example%20of%20how%20this%20language%20is%20shown%20in%20the%20development%20of%20life.%20Man%20is%201-2,%20mother%20is%201-40.%20The%20words%20for%20son%20and%20daughter%20are%202-50%20and%202-400%20respectively,%20showing%20that%20sons%20and%20daughters%20are%20created%20(the%202%E2%80%99s)%20from%20the%20origin%20of%20man%20and%20woman%20which%20start%20with%201%E2%80%99s.%0A%0AOne%20development%20of%20this%20concept%20is%20the%20Hebrew%20word%20for%20create%20which%20has%20a%20structure%20of%202-200-1.%20Weinreb%20explains%20this%20that%20when%20something%20is%20created%20(2)%20it%20is%20then%20released%20by%20it%E2%80%99s%20creator%20to%20achieve%20all%20that%20it%20can%20in%20its%20sphere%20of%20existence%20and%20carry%20itself%20to%20the%20highest%20point%20outward%20from%20the%20creator%20(200),%20but%20then%20it%20must%20return%20to%20its%20creator%20(1)%20even%20though%20it%20may%20not%20have%20comprehended%20such%20a%20path%20was%20planned%20for%20it.%0A%0AThe%20word%20for%20%E2%80%9Ccome%E2%80%9D%20is%202-1%20showing%20that%20a%20father%20(1-2)%20creates%20and%20then%20invites%20his%20creation%20to%20return%20to%20him%20(2-1).%20The%20word%20%E2%80%9Clost%E2%80%9D%20in%20Hebrew%20is%201-2-4%20meaning%20the%20father%20created%20something%20and%20it%20failed%20to%20come%20to%20him%20and%20instead%20became%20unto%20itself%20a%20duality%20(lost%20in%20the%20world).%20These%20things%20fascinate%20me%20and%20prove%20to%20me%20the%20existence%20of%20a%20very%20high%20order%20of%20language%20far%20beyond%20something%20that%20man%20could%20create%20where%20the%20very%20structure%20of%20the%20word%20gives%20meaning%20to%20the%20words%20and%20to%20the%20purpose%20of%20life.%0A%0AThere%20are%20many%20examples%20in%20the%20book%20on%20a%20variety%20of%20subjects%20and%20I%20will%20only%20share%20one%20more%20here%20pertaining%20to%20the%20name%20of%20the%20Lord.%20In%20Genesis%20chapters%201%20and%202%20we%20read%20two%20accounts%20of%20the%20creation%20story.%20In%20the%20first%20chapter,%20God%20does%20everything,%20while%20in%20the%20second%20chapter,%20it%20changes%20to%20%E2%80%9CLord%20God%E2%80%9D.%20We%20understand%20that%20the%20first%20chapter%20deals%20with%20a%20spiritual%20creation%20of%20the%20earth%20and%20the%20word%20for%20%E2%80%9CGod%E2%80%9D%20is%20%E2%80%9CElohim%E2%80%9D.%20%20In%20the%20second%20chapter,%20we%20have%20the%20word%20%E2%80%9CJehovah%E2%80%9D%20being%20used%20and%20the%20structure%20for%20this%20name%20is%2010-5-6-5.%20Forgive%20me%20for%20not%20going%20into%20great%20detail%20as%20the%20author%20spends%20considerable%20time%20on%20this%20name%20and%20I%20cannot%20say%20that%20I%20understand%20it%20well%20enough%20to%20dispense%20it%20to%20you%20except%20that%20the%206%20is%20a%20%E2%80%9Chook%E2%80%9D%20or%20%E2%80%9Cjoining%E2%80%9D%20word%20so%20we%20see%20in%20the%20name%20of%20Jehovah%20that%20there%20is%20a%2010,%20and%20then%20another%2010%20expressed%20as%20a%20duality%20of%20creation%20or%20%E2%80%9C5%20and%20a%205%E2%80%9D.%20This%20is%20what%20the%20author%20says%20of%20the%20name%E2%80%99s%20proportion:%0A%0A%22All%20this%20is%20henceforth%20determined%20by%20what%20is%20expressed%20in%20the%20name%20of%20'Lord%20God'.%20This%20name%20is%20spelled%20in%20Hebrew%20yod-hee-waw-hee.%20(10-5-6-5)%20The%20name%20is%20not%20pronounced%20that%20way,%20because%20in%20pronouncing%20this%20proportion,%20or%20writing%20it%20down%20in%20the%20original%20Hebrew%20letters,%20one%20would%20create%20something%20of%20eminent%20force%20and%20power%20which%20one%20is%20not%20allowed%20to%20use%20for%20phenomenal%20proportions.%20Only%20in%20very%20special%20circumstances%20and%20in%20a%20very%20special%20place%20may%20this%20name%20be%20uttered,%20according%20to%20ancient%20lore.%22%0A%0AInterestingly,%20the%20author%20points%20out%20that%20knowledge%20of%20this%20name%20is%20called%20%E2%80%9Cshem%E2%80%9D%20and%20one%20who%20possesses%20knowledge%20of%20this%20name%20is%20called%20a%20%E2%80%9Cbaal-shem%E2%80%9D.%20In%20the%20LDS%20religion%20we%20regard%20Shem%20as%20Melchizedek,%20the%20great%20high%20priest%20to%20whom%20the%20priesthood%20was%20named%20after%20and%20we%20read%20in%20scripture%20that%20the%20priesthood%20was%20given%20his%20name:%0A%0A%E2%80%9CBut%20out%20of%20respect%20or%20reverence%20to%20the%20name%20of%20the%20Supreme%20Being,%20to%20avoid%20the%20too%20frequent%20repetition%20of%20his%20%5BJehovah%E2%80%99s:%5D%20name,%20they,%20the%20church,%20in%20ancient%20days,%20called%20that%20priesthood%20after%20Melchizedek,%20or%20the%20Melchizedek%20Priesthood.%E2%80%9D%20(D&amp;C%20107:4)%0A%0AIf%20%E2%80%9Csacredly%20fascinating%E2%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