Friday 14 December 2007

A bit of fun for Christmas - Shakespearchronicity maybe?

No links to ITLAD or CTF this one, but someting that has always amused me and you can have some fun with friends by pointing this pointless bit of knowledge out to them. I always think it works best by simply have them do the counting of the words then tell them the facts afterwards.

In 1610 the final draft and polishing of the Authorised (King James Version) of the Bible was completed.

Now if you have a copy look up Psalm 46 and count 46 words from the beginning of the psalm. You will find that you have arrived at the word "shake". Now, discounting the word "Selah", count 46 words from the end of the psalm and the word revealed is "spear".

Now in 1610 Shakespeare would have been 46 years old (having been born in 1564). Is this a coincidence or something that the translators did in honour of the Bard? If so it would have taken a good deal of manipulation of the text to get it to work so well. Not impossible I agree but some effort.

7 comments:

Hurlyburly said...

In the dictionary a few pages into "R" is the word "Reaching"

Harsh? Sorry! I believe half the things shakespeare is credited with doing are only there because of the interpretation of others but this one wins!

I've not found any hidden meanings in your book yet, you know, other than to kill the president. That is what you meant... right?

SM Kovalinsky said...

I am of a different opinion than hurlyburly's: I believe that these things occur at once by accident and to some purpose. Example: I was reading on the internet that among some personal notes scribbled by JFK while on an airplane were found the words, "911-conspiracy?". Obviously, JFK was NOT in any way seeing the future sept 11, 2001 or that US citizens would come to view it as a conspiracy. What is interesting is that these subjective, unrelated words would later come to SEEM to carry a meaning. That to me reveals some secret, playful order contained within chaos.

Hurlyburly said...

I'd agree with that, you have to realise i was just teasing Mr Peake! My answers are generaly substantial or very brief, there's no inbetween!

SM Kovalinsky said...

hurlyburly: I looked at your blog profile and was stunned to see how young you are. For some reason the name, "hurlyburly" had made me picture some retired, grouchy old professor of age 80--and my hackles rose to defend our dear Anthony.

Hurlyburly said...

Hurlyburly is my favourite (extremely dialogue and drug/alcohol driven) film staring Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey and Chaz Palminteri. I'm 26 and feel very old sometimes so thank you for giving me the boost i needed, well at least 'till this evening anyway.
I absolutely loved Anthony's book and have read about 5 similar books ever since because i am now fascinated with all things Quantam! If you ask Anthony himself he'll tell you i have been whoring his book to the public more than anyone!! No problem though, tone is always so hard to read online, i think it starts many wars!

SM Kovalinsky said...

Yes I agree; tone is hard to grasp online, and I have one of those minds that creates images: as I said, I immediately pictured Ebeneezer Scrooge puffing a pipe, and saying, "god blast it, I'll show this Peake fellow a thing or two"--and only a boy of 26 making a playful ironical statement. Before seeing Peake's photo, I pictured him as looking like Nietzsche. These images in themselves would make fodder for a post of its own.

Hurlyburly said...

I've mentioned to him his look has gone from one of the Bee Gees to (now) Sting. I think he was ok with the Sting thing...