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How are numbers written in Hebrew?
There are no symbols for numbers (1,2,3…) in Hebrew; the letters of the alphabet have been used, since earliest times, to represent numbers. The first nine letters represent the numbers 1-9; the next nine represent the numbers 10-90; and the last four, together with the "final forms" of the letters kaph, mem, nun, peh. and tsadi, represemt the numbers 100-900.
I have a question regarding the JewishAnswerspost: Re:Numbers
Posted on: 2005-11-22 14:42:56
what is meant by “earliest times”? i.e., what is the first known source for this usage of letters to indicate numbers?
The earliest explicit usage is in the Talmud, but the Talmud itself interprets Biblical passages in this vein.
Comment by ATR — January 10, 2006 @ 8:44 pm