242 Preston Kavanagh This next note contains sequences for the three non-Jehoiachin words — Cushi, Shecaniah, and Jecoliah (26). All told, the Priestly Benediction carries within its short text eighty-seven coded spellings of Jehoiachin (27). The question is not whether these spellings exist but rather whether they are coincidental. Before addressing the coincidence question, here is a review: – Four hundred fifty-six Hebrew personal names contain only the thirteen letters appearing in Num 6,24-26, the Priestly Benediction – Computer runs against a large sample of scripture, using particular rules, established A, B, and other values for frequencies of those 456 names – Among the particular rules are that each spelling uses one letter per text word, from text words spaced at regular intervals, with letters in any sequence – All 456 names were run against Num 6,24-26 to determine the presence of A or B values – Nine Hebrew personal names, six of which are variations of Jehoiachin, recorded A or B values – The six Jehoiachin variations made a total of eighty-seven coded spellings within the benediction’s fifteen text words. Is the grouping of coded Jehoiachin versions in the Priestly Benediction a coincidence? Imagine choosing while blindfolded six red balls and three black balls in nine draws from a vat containing 456 balls, six of them red and the remaining 450 colored black. The odds against picking all six red balls (the Jehoiachin spellings) in nine pulls are 1.7 billion to one (28). Understood in this way, the six A and B groups of Jehoiachin spellings in the Priestly Benediction cannot have occurred by chance alone. Within the benediction there is strong evidence of a code that uses one letter per text word, with letters in any sequence, from text words spaced at regular intervals. 4. Comparing the Amulets with Scripture The Ketef Hinnom amulets contain fragments of other biblical texts and end with portions of the Priestly Benediction. Reconstructions by the Barkay group show differences between the plaques, as well as between them and the MT’s version of the Priestly Benediction (29). Both amulets lack the second kaph in the opening word of the MT’s benediction, and Ketef Hinnom II omits the waw in the benediction’s third word and also drops the waw from µwlç at the end of the benediction. The Ketef Hinnom I text breaks off after the benediction’s sixth word, while the scribe incising amulet II either committed (26) Intervals, verses, and starting words for yçwk are: (1) 24-1; 25-3, 4, 5; 26-1, 2, 3, 4; (2) 24-1, 3; 25-2, 4; (3) 24-3; 25-1, 3; (4) 24-1, 3. For whynkç: (1) 24-1, 2, 3; 25-1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 26-1, 2; (2) 24-1, 3; 25-2. For whylky: (1) 24-2, 3; 25-2, 3, 4, 5; 26-1, 2; (2) 24-1, 2, 3; 25-1, 2. (27) Jehoiachin spellings in items 3–8 of table 2 total 87 (14 + 13 + 14 + 15 + 10 + 21). (28) P = a combination of (9 choose 6) (447 choose 3) / 456 choose 9 = 5.72 x 10-10. (This is known as a hypergeometric probability since the sampling is partitioned without replacement.) (29) BARKAY – LUNDBERG – VAUGHN – ZUCKERMAN, “Amulets from Ketef Hinnom”, has the reconstructions on 61 and 68.