From: Taner Edis <edis@ETA.PHA.JHU.EDU>
Subject:      Koranic Numerology
Message-ID: <9305040046.AA27034@lll-winken.llnl.gov>
Date:         Mon, 3 May 1993 20:43:06 EDT

        Occasionally "proofs" of the divine origin of certain texts
held to be sacred come up on SKEPTIC, often by numerological means
like finding hidden codes or structures within the material.
        I've discovered a pretty good example of an Islamic version,
while chasing down a creationist reference.  If anyone is interested,
it is called "Quran: The Final Testament," translated by Rashad
Khalifa.  The translation is an idiosyncratic one, in support of a
(heretical) Islamic theology, but the interesting part is the
appendices.  A "proof" based on the number 19 appearing all over the
place is presented; in fact the back cover of the volume declares:
"This book comes to you with built-in physical evidence that it is
God's message to you; it is mathematically composed far beyond human
capability (see Appendix 1)."  There's also some garden-variety
creationism (Appendix 31: "Probability Laws Preclude Darwin's
Evolution") and some of the standard crap about scientific miracles in
the Koran (as with "The Big Bang Theory is now supported by the
Creator's infallible mathematical code (Appendix 1).  Thus, it is no
longer a theory; it is a proven fact.").
        It's worth a look if you're interested in this species of
weirdness.  By the way, I know of computer-based numerology on the
Tanakh (Old Testament), the Christian part of the Bible (one I've come
across of late fixated on the number 7), the Koran, and the Rig Veda
(the Maharishi's physics-numerology).  Is there any book out there
that surveys this particular form of religious proof-attempt?  Have
any other sacred texts been subjected to such numerology?

        Taner Edis