How does gematria work

gematria is a numerical system used in many ancient cultures, including the Hebrew and Greek cultures. It is based on the premise that each letter of the alphabet has a numerical equivalent, and that words can be represented and compared through their numerical values. Gematria is typically used to interpret the meaning of words, phrases and sentences in religious texts, such as the Bible.

The word "gematria" itself comes from the Greek phrase "geometria" which means "the art of measuring." Gematria was first developed by Jewish scholars around 400 B.C., though it may have existed much earlier than this. These scholars believed that each letter of the alphabet had an inherent numerical value which allowed them to compare various words to one another for deeper insight into their hidden meanings. In some cases, the numerical comparison would be used to uncover something about the spiritual meaning written between lines of a text or phrase – something which could not be determined from its linguistic or literal interpretation alone.

In order to work out the numerical value of a word or phrase in Gematria, you must assign each letter with its appropriate value from one through nine based on its position in the Hebrew alphabet; for example, Aleph ( א‎ ) is valued at one, Beth ( ב‎ ) is valued at two etc. Once all letters are given their values according to this sequence, add them up and divide by seven (the number associated with completion). The remainder will tell you what you need to know about your word or phrase. Each remainder then corresponds with another set of values - ranging from good fortune (1) to destruction (7).

For example: The Hebrew word for shepherd (רעה) has a gematrical value of 248. When divided by 7, this gives us a remainder of 2 - indicating kindness and love rather than destruction and chaos as some might expect from its literal interpretation!