Gematria

Gematria is an interpretive method from the Jewish tradition that calculates the numerical value of a Hebrew word by adding up the values of its letters, from aleph, worth 1, to tav, worth 400. Two words of equal value are then linked to bring out a hidden meaning. The best-known example is the word for “living” (chai), worth 18, hence the custom of making donations and gifts in multiples of 18. It belongs first to textual commentary, before being a divinatory tool.