Hebrew Numerals & Gematria
Convert between Hebrew numerals and decimal numbers. Calculate gematria values of Hebrew text.
Hebrew Numeral Values
Units (1-9)
א1
ב2
ג3
ד4
ה5
ו6
ז7
ח8
ט9
Tens (10-90)
י10
כ20
ל30
מ40
נ50
ס60
ע70
פ80
צ90
Hundreds (100-400)
ק100
ר200
ש300
ת400
Special Notes
- • 15 is written טו (not יה) to avoid spelling God's name
- • 16 is written טז (not יו) for similar reasons
- • Single letter numbers get geresh (׳): א׳ = 1
- • Multi-letter numbers get gershayim (״): י״א = 11
Puzzle Tips
- • Hebrew is read right-to-left
- • Final forms (ך, ם, ן, ף, ץ) have same values as regular forms
- • Gematria is used in Biblical and mystical puzzles
- • Jewish year dates use this system (5784 = התשפ״ד)
What are Hebrew Numerals?
Hebrew numerals use the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet to represent numbers. This system, used since the 2nd century BCE, assigns values to letters: א-ט (1-9), י-צ (10-90), and ק-ת (100-400).
The System
Basic Values
- Units (1-9): א ב ג ד ה ו ז ח ט
- Tens (10-90): י כ ל מ נ ס ע פ צ
- Hundreds (100-400): ק ר ש ת
Higher Numbers
Numbers above 400 are written additively (500 = תק), and thousands use units with a geresh mark (e.g., ה׳ = 5000).
Gematria
Gematria is the practice of calculating the numerical value of Hebrew words. Words with equal values are considered mystically connected.
Famous Examples
- חי (chai, "life") = 18
- אמת (emet, "truth") = 441
- שלום (shalom, "peace") = 376
Special Conventions
- 15 and 16: Written as 9+6 and 9+7 to avoid spelling Divine names
- Geresh (׳): Marks single-letter numbers or thousands
- Gershayim (״): Placed before last letter in multi-letter numbers
In Geocaching
Hebrew numerals appear in:
- Religious themes: Jewish heritage or biblical puzzles
- Gematria puzzles: Find words with specific values
- Date puzzles: Jewish calendar dates
- Cultural caches: In Israel or Jewish communities
Related Number Systems
- Greek Numerals: Similar alphabetic system.
- Roman Numerals: Another ancient system.
- Word Value: English letter value calculation.