What are the origins of gematria?

gematria is an ancient form of numerology that has been used for thousands of years in various civilizations around the world. Dating back to the days of ancient Babylonia, Gematria was first created as a way to give additional insight into the Hebrew Bible and has since been used in a variety of ways. Since its beginnings, it has been adapted in various cultures around the world and from this adaptation formed an even greater understanding of the relationship between numbers and words.

The word 'Gematria' originates from two Greek words – geōmetrikos (geo- meaning earth or land) and logos (words) – which combine to mean 'calculation of the earth' or 'words of calculation'. Ancient Babylonia was one of the first cultures to utilize gematria as a way to learn more about sacred texts, particularly those found in the Hebrew Bible. Numbers were assigned to each letter within certain words and by doing so, secrets could be discovered that had previously been hidden.

The use of Gematria eventually spread across Europe and throughout various Middle Eastern countries thanks to its famous association with Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah. Commonly applied to Talmudic writings and religious texts, it was also used when looking at life events from astrology readings and predicting future events. Gematria even extended beyond religion at times, being used in legal decisions where numerical values were attributed to sentences or outcomes within contracts or court battles.