Further to the matter of 1Ki.7:23-26 and the Hebews understanding of Pi:
(1) The ratio, inner circumference:outer diameter is given as 3 - the
number of 'divine perfection' - which also crops up in respect of the
supporting oxen and of the 300 knops on the rim. Further, the Temple (of
which this laver was part) had a cubic 'Holy of Holies'(1Ki.6:20), and
consisted of three parts: the Court, the Holy Place, and the Sanctuary.
We are further informed that it had three chambers round about
(1Ki.6:5,6).
It seems highly likely, therefore, that the laver's designer had chosen
to achieve this ratio so that the result would indeed glorify God. {As a
spin off, the very real problem of representing a fraction in the text
was also avoided).
(2) In our first encounter with the mensuration of the circle and
sphere, Pi is introduced as 'three and a seventh', or 22/7 - an
approximation adequate for many practical applications. As a matter of
interest, this may be expressed as the decimal fraction,
3.142857142857..., and we observe the 6-digit sequence,'142857',
repeated ad infinitum. Treating this as a number in its own right, we
unearth a gem of recreational mathematics, thus:
(a) It is rich in factors:
142857 = 3.3.3.11.13.37
In particular, 37, 407 and 999 are factors.
(b) The 5 numbers formed by rotating its digits are
multiples of itself, thus:
142857 = S, say = 1.S
428571 = 3.S
285714 = 2.S
857142 = 6.S
571428 = 4.S
714285 = 5.S
(c) Reversing its digits, and rotating as before, we find
that 37, 407 and 999 continue as factors of each of the six
numbers.
There is a direct link here with Genesis 1:1. Originally written in
Hebrew (a language with an alphabet of 22 letters), and comprising 7
words (which may be fairly read as numbers), we find:
(a) the verse total = 2701 = 37.73
(b) the 6th word = 407
(c) word 1 + word 3 = word 2 + word 4 + word 5 = 999
So an eye-catching 'recreation' emanating from a first approximation of
Pi leads to something rather significant. From many points of view, the
Bible's opening words are observed to be centred on the surest of all
earthly foundations - the natural numbers! Clearly, such 'coincidences'
do not evolve! However, there are many more. These are described at the
the URLs given below.
Vernon
Vernon Jenkins
[Musician, Mining Engineer, and Senior Lecturer in Maths and Computing,
the Polytechnic of Wales (now the University of Glamorgan), 1954-87]
http://homepage.virgin.net/vernon.jenkins/index.htm
http://www.compulink.co.uk/~indexer/miracla1.htm