What is the origin of gematria?

gematria is an ancient system of numerology that assigned numerical value to words, names and phrases. The origin of Gematria can be traced back to Jewish, Greek and other cultures in the Near East. In Judaism, Gematria is mainly used as a way to interpret texts by looking at the numerical values of their constituent words. This system is believed to have been adapted from a more ancient practice used by the Egyptians and Babylonians.

Gematria has its roots in mathematical ideas of the Ancient Near East, which focused on assigning numerical value to objects, names and words. In Judaism, Gematria began with scholars using the number values of Hebrew letters as part of their interpretation of Scripture. The most widely accepted form of Gematria in Jewish studies is known as Kabbalistic Gematria, which assigns numerical values to letters on a scale from 1-400 (representing 400 different letters). These numbers are then added together to discover hidden meanings behind words or phrases. Word combinations that add up to similar total numbers often convey similar meanings.

For example, one example from the Torah states that it was six days when God created heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1-2:1). This statement in Hebrew contains three phrases ("six days," "heaven," "earth"), each corresponding to a certain numerical value when taking into account their letter assignments. When added together these three phrases come to a number value of 777, a number traditionally associated with completion or divine perfection.