Re:Atbash – Ancient Hebrew Cryptography
by willvarfar on Monday February 01, 2016 @01:46AM
(#11010202)
This wikipedia article doesn't describe its History nor its Use at all!
Its widely described in cryptography literature not as a security device but as a literary one.
Atbash mostly survives in Jewish Kabbalahs, mystic and allegorical writings. Two atbash phrases are used in just three places in one book of the bible (Jeremiah), and these were probably added early on but not in there originally (as they don't occur in the Septuagint, for example).
Here's The Code Book (Simon Singh) description:
"Atbash and other similar biblical ciphers where probably intended only to add mystery, rather than conceal meaning"
Re:Atbash – Ancient Hebrew Cryptography
by yehosef on Monday February 01, 2016 @04:28AM
(#11010693)
Often Atbash is used to "hide" a meaning - or refer to something that is hidden.
An example of this additional meaning is the word "Mitzvah" is (mem-tzadi-vav-heh) is usually translated commandment. The name of God is Yud-heh-vav-heh. The atbash for mem is yud and atbash for tzadi is heh. So if you replace the first two letters of "mitzvah" with the atbash conversion, you have the name of God. This is an allusion that doing a mitzvah reveals God in the world, though in a somewhat hidden way.
Re:Atbash – Ancient Hebrew Cryptography
by smithkl42 on Sunday January 31, 2016 @11:46PM
(#11009828)
Funny - I'd noticed long ago that my NIV has a note for Jer. 25:26, saying that "Sheshach is a cryptogram for Babylon". I've wondered how they came to that conclusion - now I know. Very interesting.
Re:Atbash – Ancient Hebrew Cryptography
by acqq on Monday February 01, 2016 @06:58AM
(#11011239)
Although also substitution cipher like Rot13, this one was used in the Bible! See smithkl42's comment.
Knowing how Bible poorly got the other science bits wrong, that's a significant thing. The writers used at least a real substitution cipher (even if it's a kind-of-simplest we know of today).
Its widely described in cryptography literature not as a security device but as a literary one.
Atbash mostly survives in Jewish Kabbalahs, mystic and allegorical writings. Two atbash phrases are used in just three places in one book of the bible (Jeremiah), and these were probably added early on but not in there originally (as they don't occur in the Septuagint, for example).
Here's The Code Book (Simon Singh) description:
"Atbash and other similar biblical ciphers where probably intended only to add mystery, rather than conceal meaning"
An example of this additional meaning is the word "Mitzvah" is (mem-tzadi-vav-heh) is usually translated commandment. The name of God is Yud-heh-vav-heh. The atbash for mem is yud and atbash for tzadi is heh. So if you replace the first two letters of "mitzvah" with the atbash conversion, you have the name of God. This is an allusion that doing a mitzvah reveals God in the world, though in a somewhat hidden way.
Knowing how Bible poorly got the other science bits wrong, that's a significant thing. The writers used at least a real substitution cipher (even if it's a kind-of-simplest we know of today).