Editing Gematria (section)

==Etymology==
Classical scholars agree that the Hebrew word ''gematria'' derives from the [[Greek language|Greek]] γεωμετρία ''geōmetriā'', "[[geometry]]",<ref name=Klein>{{cite book |last=Klein |first=R. C. |year=2014 |title=Lashon Hakodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew: a Linguistic Journey from Eden to Israel |publisher=Mosaica Press |page=158 |isbn=978-1-937887-36-0}}</ref> though some scholars believe it derives from γραμματεια ''grammateia'' "knowledge of [[writing]]".{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} It is likely that both Greek words had an influence on the formation of the Hebrew word.<ref>{{OED|gematria}} ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]''</ref><ref name=JE /> Some hold it to derive from the order of the [[Greek alphabet]], gamma being the third letter of the Greek alphabet ("gamma tria").<ref name=Klein/>

The word has been extant in English since at least the 17th century from translations of works by [[Giovanni Pico della Mirandola]]. It is largely used in Jewish texts, notably those associated with the [[Kabbalah]]. Neither the concept nor the term appears in the [[Hebrew Bible]] itself.<ref name=JE />