Genesis 1: A gaping gap between chasm and chaos

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [kjv]

1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [kjv]

Have you ever heard a pastor say or pray "to the god who brought order to chaos"? Whose god are they talking about? The gods bringing order to "chaos" is part of Greek mythology. Such a god is in the universe instead of outside of time and space.

The description in Genesis of the God of the Bible is very different. That God had to create matter, time and space and then, from the starting point created, organize what was created.

And this is different than the technical term "chaos theory" as systems with a sensitive dependency on initial conditions. And this is not the same as "chaos" as a general term for disorder as in "clutter" in our lives.

Genesis 1:1

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KJV: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Hebrew: בראשית ברא אלהים את השמים ואת הארץ׃

Greek: εν αρχη εποιησεν ο θεος τον ουρανον και την γην

Genesis 1:2

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KJV: And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Hebrew: והארץ היתה תהו ובהו וחשך על פני תהום ורוח אלהים מרחפת על פני המים׃

Greek: η δε γη ην αορατος και ακατασκευαστος και σκοτος επανω της αβυσσου και πνευμα θεου επεφερετο επανω του υδατος

Latin: terra autem erat inanis et vacua et tenebrae super faciem abyssi et spiritus Dei ferebatur super aquas

Wycliffe: Forsothe the erthe was idel and voide, and derknessis weren on the face of depthe; and the Spiryt of the Lord was borun on the watris.

Tyndale: The erth was voyde and emptie ad darcknesse was vpon the depe and the spirite of god moved vpon the water

Luther: Und die Erde war wüst und leer, und es war finster auf der Tiefe; und der Geist Gottes schwebete auf dem Wasser.

Genesis 1:13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. [kjv]

When exactly does the day start? And when does it end? There have been two primary views during history.

midnight to midnight (Roman and Greek cultures)
sunset to sunset (Semitic and Germanic cultures)

More: Genesis 1: Evening and morning

A puzzle with pieces scattered is not in order.

A puzzle put together is in order.

Associating "disorder" with the word "chaos" is often done in English but the word "chaos" has other meanings and history of meanings.

This "chaos" is not the same as the acronym KAOS as a play on words on "chaos" but the acronym is never given a meaning as used in the 1960's comedy show "Get Smart".
At that time, English teachers liked to use "chaos" as a vocabulary word and appear to enjoy students who saw the show "Get Smart" write "KAOS" instead of "chaos".

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. [kjv]

εν αρχη εποιησεν ο θεος τον ουρανον και την γην [lxx]

1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [kjv]

The modern Greek word "χάος" (HA-os) ≈ "chaos, disorder". The word "chaos" is sometimes used today to describe the early universe, and is used in some Greek legends, but this Greek word is not used in the LXX (Septuagint) for this purpose.

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. [kjv]

The Hebrew word "תהו" (to-hu) ≈ "formless".
The Hebrew word "ובהו" (wa-bo-hu) ≈ "void".

The Hebrew term "to-hu wa-bo-hu" for "formless and void" in Genesis 1:2 is used in modern Hebrew for a state disorder (or entropy).

The Hebrew word "תהו" (to-hu) ≈ "formless".

The modern Greek word "αόρατος" (a-O-ra-tos) ≈ "not seen, invisible".

*H8414 תּוֹהוּ (to'-hoo) : from an unused root meaning to lie waste; a desolation (of surface), i.e. desert; figuratively, a worthless thing; adverbially, in vain:--confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, (thing of) nought, vain, vanity, waste, wilderness.

The Hebrew word "ובהו" (wa-bo-hu) ≈ "void".

The modern Greek word "ακατασκεύαστος" (a-ka-ta-SKEV-a-stos) ≈ "not properly prepared, unfinished" and is the word used here.

The KJV (King James Version) uses "void".
Luther uses the German word "leer" ≈ "empty".
Jerome uses the Latin word "vacuus" ≈ "empty, vacant" and in the origin of the English words "vacuum", "vacant", etc.

*H922 בּוֹהוּ (bo'-hoo) : from an unused root (meaning to be empty); a vacuity, i.e. (superficially) an undistinguishable ruin:--emptiness, void.

After creating the heavens and earth out of "nothing" (ex nihilo), each day of creation results in a decrease in entropy and increase in order of the universe.

The Latin phrase "creatio ex nihilo" ≈ "creation out of nothing".
The Latin phrase "ex nihilo nihil fit" ≈ "nothing comes from nothing".

The ancient Greek word "πλάσμα" (PLA-sma) ≈ "something formed, figure" is from the modern Greek word "πλάσσω" (PLAS-so) ≈ "to form mold". The same modern Greek word means "fluid part of the body", physics "plasma", "creature", "animate being", "creature".

The English word "plasma" comes from the (late) Latin word "plasma" ≈ "mold" which comes from the ancient Greek.

More: Plasma

The Greek word for "plasma" appears a number of times in the LXX and GNT (Greek New Testament).

The early state of creation is often called "chaos" (from Greek mythology).

A "plasma" in physics is the fourth state of matter (dissociated ions) after solid, liquid and gas.

What is the fifth state of matter?

The fifth state of matter might be found in Connecticut, the fifth state to join the United States as one of the thirteen colonies.

A natural example of a plasma is a lightning bolt.

An artificial example of a plasma is a neon light (that contains neon that when on glows).

The chemical element "Neon", atomic number 10, was named for the Greek «νεο» because it was newly discovered (by Sir William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers in 1898).

The modern Greek word "νέος" (NEH-os) ≈ "new". The Greek prefixes «νου» and «νεο», as in "neolithic", mean "new".

Neon is a "noble gas" that can be used in what are called "neon lights". Different gases yield different colors.

neon: orange
hydrogen: red
helium: yellow
carbon dioxide: white
mercury: blue

The first neon light was by Georges Claude and first appeared at the Paris Motor Show in 1910.

Romans 9:20

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KJV: Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Greek: μενουνγε ω ανθρωπε μενουνγε συ τις ει ο ανταποκρινομενος τω θεω μη ερει το πλασμα τω πλασαντι τι με εποιησας ουτως

Latin: o homo tu quis es qui respondeas Deo numquid dicit figmentum ei qui se finxit quid me fecisti sic

*G4110 *1 πλάσμα (plas'-mah) : from G4111 πλάσσω; something moulded:--thing formed.

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πλασμα

Romans 9:20 ... that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why ...

*G4111 *2 πλάσσω (plas'-so) : a primary verb; to mould, i.e. shape or fabricate:--form.

Usage

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πλασαντι

Romans 9:20 ... Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

επλασθη

1 Timothy 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.

In Psalms 103, the LXX uses both "plasma" and "dust" (related to "chaos") in the same verse - a form of Hebrew poetry.

Psalms 103:14

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KJV: For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Hebrew: כי הוא ידע יצרנו זכור כי עפר אנחנו׃

Greek: οτι αυτος εγνω το πλασμα ημων μνησθητι οτι χους εσμεν

The Hebrew word "עפר" (a-par) ≈ "dust". עפר - dust

*H6083 עָפָר (aw-fawr') : from H6080; dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud:--ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.

The KJV word "frame" is in the sense of "form" that fits with "dust".

Isaiah 29:16

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KJV: Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Hebrew: הפככם אם כחמר היצר יחשב כי יאמר מעשה לעשהו לא עשני ויצר אמר ליוצרו לא הבין׃

Greek: ουχ ως ο πηλος του κεραμεως λογισθησεσθε μη ερει το πλασμα τω πλασαντι ου συ με επλασας η το ποιημα τω ποιησαντι ου συνετως με εποιησας

Latin: perversa est haec vestra cogitatio quasi lutum contra figulum cogitet et dicat opus factori suo non fecisti me et figmentum dicat fictori suo non intellegis

Habakkuk 2:18

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KJV: What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?

Hebrew: מה הועיל פסל כי פסלו יצרו מסכה ומורה שקר כי בטח יצר יצרו עליו לעשות אלילים אלמים׃

Greek: τι ωφελει γλυπτον οτι εγλυψαν αυτο επλασαν αυτο χωνευμα φαντασιαν ψευδη οτι πεποιθεν ο πλασας επι το πλασμα αυτου του ποιησαι ειδωλα κωφα

Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. [kjv]

1:7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. [kjv]

1:8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. [kjv]

The "waters" in the creation story in Genesis 1 fit well with the physical properties of a "plasma", as the entropy (disorder) of the system of the created universe is decreased each day.

More: Genesis 1: Evening and morning

More: Plasma

Genesis 1:6

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KJV: And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Hebrew: ויאמר אלהים יהי רקיע בתוך המים ויהי מבדיל בין מים למים׃

Greek: και ειπεν ο θεος γενηθητω στερεωμα εν μεσω του υδατος και εστω διαχωριζον ανα μεσον υδατος και υδατος και εγενετο ουτως

Genesis 1:7

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KJV: And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

Hebrew: ויעש אלהים את הרקיע ויבדל בין המים אשר מתחת לרקיע ובין המים אשר מעל לרקיע ויהי כן׃

Greek: και εποιησεν ο θεος το στερεωμα και διεχωρισεν ο θεος ανα μεσον του υδατος ο ην υποκατω του στερεωματος και ανα μεσον του υδατος του επανω του στερεωματος

Genesis 1:8

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KJV: And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Hebrew: ויקרא אלהים לרקיע שמים ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום שני׃

Greek: και εκαλεσεν ο θεος το στερεωμα ουρανον και ειδεν ο θεος οτι καλον και εγενετο εσπερα και εγενετο πρωι ημερα δευτερα

The Hebrew word "יום" (yom) ≈ "day".

Note that according the KJV (and Hebrew) God had a bad Monday (the evening before until Monday evening) since God did not see anything good this day. Tuesday, however, is the day of double blessing which is why Hebrew weddings were often on Tuesday, the third day.

John 2:1

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KJV: And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

Greek: και τη ημερα τη τριτη γαμος εγενετο εν κανα της γαλιλαιας και ην η μητηρ του ιησου εκει

Latin: et die tertio nuptiae factae sunt in Cana Galilaeae et erat mater Iesu ibi

Note above that the LXX does have God seeing that this day is good. Did the LXX add this to the text? Did the Hebrew text remove it to go from eight times to seven times that God saw that what he did was good? It is not clear.

Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. [kjv]

και εν πασιν τουτοις μεταξυ ημων και υμων χασμα μεγα εστηρικται οπως οι θελοντες διαβηναι ενθεν προς υμας μη δυνωνται μηδε εκειθεν προς ημας διαπερωσιν [gnt]

The Greek word for "chaos" is related to the word "chasm".

The modern Greek word "χάσμα" (HA-sma) ≈ "chasm, gulf" and is related to the modern Greek word "χάσκω" (HA-sko) ≈ "yawn, gape" (not in the Bible).

This Greek word appears once in the LXX and once in the GNT.

Like 16:26: Rich man an Lazarus
2 Samuel 18:17: Absalom

Luke 16:26

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KJV: And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Greek: και επι εν πασιν τουτοις μεταξυ ημων και υμων χασμα μεγα εστηρικται οπως οι θελοντες διαβηναι εντευθεν ενθεν προς υμας μη δυνωνται μηδε οι εκειθεν προς ημας διαπερωσιν

Latin: et in his omnibus inter nos et vos chasma magnum firmatum est ut hii qui volunt hinc transire ad vos non possint neque inde huc transmeare

Wycliffe: And in alle these thingis a greet derk place is stablischid betwixe vs and you; that thei that wolen fro hennus passe to you, moun not, nethir fro thennus passe ouer hidur.

Tyndale: Beyonde all this bitwene you and vs ther is a greate space set so that they which wolde goo from thence to you cannot: nether maye come from thence to vs.

Luther: Und über das alles ist zwischen uns und euch eine große Kluft befestiget, daß, die da wollten von hinnen hinabfahren zu euch, könnten nicht und auch nicht von dannen zu uns herüberfahren.

*G5490 *1 χάσμα (khas'-mah) : from a form of an obsolete primary chao (to "gape" or "yawn"); a "chasm" or vacancy (impassable interval):--gulf.

Usage

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χασμα

Luke 16:26 ... and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which ...

Words: χασμα

*G5490 *1 χάσμα (khas'-mah) : from a form of an obsolete primary chao (to "gape" or "yawn"); a "chasm" or vacancy (impassable interval):--gulf.

*H1419 גָּדוֹל גָּדוֹל (gaw-dole') : or (shortened) gadol {gaw-dole'}; from H1431; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent:--+ aloud, elder(-est), + exceeding(-ly), + far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, X sore, (X ) very.

2 Samuel 18:17 And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. [kjv]

… הפחת … [he]

και ελαβεν τον αβεσσαλωμ και ερριψεν αυτον εις χασμα μεγα εν τω δρυμω εις τον βοθυνον τον μεγαν και εστηλωσεν επ αυτον σωρον λιθων μεγαν σφοδρα και πας ισραηλ εφυγεν ανηρ εις το σκηνωμα αυτου [lxx]

The Hebrew word "הפחת" (hap-pa-hat) ≈ "pit".

2 Samuel 18:17

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KJV: And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

Hebrew: ויקחו את אבשלום וישליכו אתו ביער אל הפחת הגדול ויצבו עליו גל אבנים גדול מאד וכל ישראל נסו איש לאהלו׃

Greek: και ελαβεν τον αβεσσαλωμ και ερριψεν αυτον εις χασμα μεγα εν τω δρυμω εις τον βοθυνον τον μεγαν και εστηλωσεν επ αυτον σωρον λιθων μεγαν σφοδρα και πας ισραηλ εφυγεν ανηρ εις το σκηνωμα αυτου

Latin: et tulerunt Absalom et proiecerunt eum in saltu in foveam grandem et conportaverunt super eum acervum lapidum magnum nimis omnis autem Israhel fugit in tabernacula sua

Wycliffe: And thei token Absolon, and castiden forth him in to a greet dich in the forest, and baren togidere a ful greet heep of stoonys on hym; forsothe al Israel fledde in to his tabernaclis.

Luther: Und sie nahmen Absalom und warfen ihn in den Wald in eine große Grube und legten einen sehr großen Haufen Steine auf ihn. Und das ganze Israel floh, ein jeglicher in seine Hütte.

The discovery that small roundoff errors in computations can cascade to cause very noticeable effects resulted in the field that is today called "chaos theory".

A common, though inaccurate in a sense, saying about chaos theory is that "A butterfly flapping its wings in China might cause a typhoon in California".

More: Chaos theory and snowflakes

$Missing block$ A common programming fallacy taught to beginning students is to use floating point variables when it is not appropriate.

An exact mathematical solution involving real numbers (which are not really real, they are assumed to be real) is only an approximation.

Any floating point number (e.g., that represent real numbers) has an inherent rounding error.

More: Exact math only approximates reality

Chaos theory: sensitive dependency on initial conditions of modeling of dynamical systems.

Analogy: It is as if a butterfly flapping it's wings resulted in a tornado (1972). His original analogy used a seagull and a storm.

Some pastors will confuse "potentiality" or "as if" or "analogy" with an "actuality" or "fact" and preach how a butterfly can create this effect and then preach that you should be like that butterfly, etc. The "liken" or "as if" word of analogy is used 16 times in Matthew (more times in other Gospels and by Paul, etc.).
Other chaos meanings: (KAOS is from the 1960's comedy Get Smart)

English: informal meaning of disorder as in an informal entropy.
Greek myth: Universe started as chaos.

An exact mathematical model is only an approximation of reality.

Question: What is the sum of ten one-tenths? That is, ten times one-tenth.

Some pastors will preach Greek mythology chaos as if it were the statements made in Genesis.

More: Chaos theory and snowflakes

More: Exact math only approximates reality

Note: We are here ignoring discrete mathematics that involve only integers.

A slide rule (not slide ruler) was once used to do manual computations.

Whenever a slide rule is used, it is very evident that any computation involving real numbers is an approximation.

What are the values of the following (using a computer program)?

1/10 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10 + 1/10

Note: These are rational numbers, not irrational like √2 or transcendental numbers like π or e.

Here is the mathematics result expressed as real (rational) numbers.

1/10 = 0.1 2/10 = 0.2 3/10 = 0.3 4/10 = 0.4 5/10 = 0.5 6/10 = 0.6 7/10 = 0.7 8/10 = 0.8 9/10 = 0.9 10/10 = 1.0

Here is a simple Lua program to add values of 1/10 as 0.1.

sum1 = 0.0
for count1=1,10 do
	sum1 = sum1 + 0.1
	print(string.format("%2d/10 = %1.17f",count1,sum1))
	end

Here is the output of the Lua code.

 1/10 = 0.10000000000000001
 2/10 = 0.20000000000000001
 3/10 = 0.30000000000000004
 4/10 = 0.40000000000000002
 5/10 = 0.50000000000000000
 6/10 = 0.59999999999999998
 7/10 = 0.69999999999999996
 8/10 = 0.79999999999999993
 9/10 = 0.89999999999999991
10/10 = 0.99999999999999989

The 17 places in the output is important to being exactly precise.

An exact mathematical model is only an approximation of reality.

More: Exact math only approximates reality

Even when symbolic math can solve a problem, any attempt to compute real answers involves the same approximations

The difference is small at each step but the difference can add up to a significant amount over many iterations.

Note: One can fix this specific instance by using a fixed decimal notation, but that only works, in base 10, for numbers and increments that are multiples of 2 or 5, the prime factors of 10.

Rounding errors need to be addressed in fields of computer science such as numerical analysis.

James Gleick (American author and historical scientist) has written a very interesting book on the field known as "chaos theory" - a sensitive dependency on initial conditions. The field was accidentally discovered by the young French mathematician Henri Poincaré while attempting to find an exact mathematical solution for the three body problem.

Lorentz, in the weather field, rediscovered this idea and provided a name for it. The analogy is that, due to round-off errors in computations, it is "as if" a butterfly flapped it's wings in California and a typhoon resulted in China.
Gleick, J. (1988). Chaos: making a new science. New York: Penguin Books..

More: James Gleick

Exact mathematics can solve the (idealized) two body problem such as the sun and earth or the earth and moon.

An exact solution for the (idealized) three body problem such as the sun, earth and moon has not been found.

Accurate weather prediction requires solving the (idealized) almost infinite particle system.

More: Two and three body problem

Quantum computing:

Dunbar number

much faster than conventional computers
best for problems that allow probabilistic solutions
cannot solve all problems - despite the hype

[exponential speedup not clearly defined, like entanglement]

Quantum computing analogies: pick the best way

walk on foot: pencil and paper
drive by car : conventional computer (go most anywhere)
fly by jet : quantum computers (does not go anywhere, sometimes impractical)
no way to get to Mars, nearest star, etc.

More: Quantum computing

Fallacy: Dollars and cents should be represented using floating point variables.
The general rule, sometimes taught, that if the number has a decimal point, it should be represented as a floating point variable does not hold for dollars and cents.

The amount $123.56 is not a floating point value. It an integer value. That is 12345¢ cents.

Rule: Convert dollars and cents to cents, do the arithmetic, then convert back into dollars and cents (for display purposes). This distinction needs to be carefully handled in languages such as JavaScript and Lua which do not have integer variables.

The approximation issue involves floating point division so every such division needs to result in an integer value.

Fallacy: Social security numbers and phone numbers should be represented using integers.

How should social security numbers and phone numbers be represented? They appear to be numbers. That is, integers.

Are you ever going to add, subtract, multiply or divide these values? If not, use text.

SSN: 999-99-9999 (1 billion values, originally geographically located)

Ask your self the following question.

Are you ever going to add, subtract, multiply or divide these values?

If not, represent them using text. Note:

Leading zeros are lost using integers.
If an ordering is present, care must be taken when sorting lists of such values.

Hebrews 1:12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. [kjv]

και ωσει περιβολαιον ελιξεις αυτους ως ιματιον και αλλαγησονται συ δε ο αυτος ει και τα ετη σου ουκ εκλειψουσιν [gnt]

A helix is a spiral from the Latin word "helix" ≈ "spiral" from the ancient Greek word "ἕλιξ" ≈ "something twisted or spiral". The modern Greek word "έλιξ" (EH-leeks) ≈ "helix, spiral".

A famous helix is the double helix formed by DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid). The English word "helicopter" comes from the Greek word for "helix".

A Greek word based on "helix" appears twice in the Bible.

More: Waltzing out of chains

More: Chaos theory and snowflakes

*H8585 תְּעָלָה (teh-aw-law') : from H5927; a channel (into which water is raised for irrigation); also a bandage or plaster (as placed upon a wound):--conduit, cured, healing, little river, trench, watercourse.

1 Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. [kjv]

… בתעלה … [he]

και επεσεν πυρ παρα κυριου εκ του ουρανου και κατεφαγεν το ολοκαυτωμα και τας σχιδακας και το υδωρ το εν τη θααλα και τους λιθους και τον χουν εξελιξεν το πυρ [lxx]

The Greek phase at the end of the verse means something to the effect "and the dust turned/folded the fire".

The modern Greek word "πυρ" (peer) ≈ "fire" is related to the English word "fire", where the sounds "p" and "f" are related due to Grimm's Law (of language sound change).

The modern Greek word "χάος" (HA-os) ≈ "chaos, disorder" is related to the ancient Greek word "χους" ≈ "dust".

1 Kings 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. [kjv]

… בתעלה … [he]

*H8585 תְּעָלָה (teh-aw-law') : from H5927; a channel (into which water is raised for irrigation); also a bandage or plaster (as placed upon a wound):--conduit, cured, healing, little river, trench, watercourse.

The Hebrew word "בתעלה" (teh-aw-law) ≈ "in the trench". The Hebrew for "trench" was directly transliterated into the Greek of the LXX as "thaala".

1 Kings 18:38

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KJV: Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

Hebrew: ותפל אש יהוה ותאכל את העלה ואת העצים ואת האבנים ואת העפר ואת המים אשר בתעלה לחכה׃

Greek: και επεσεν πυρ παρα κυριου εκ του ουρανου και κατεφαγεν το ολοκαυτωμα και τας σχιδακας και το υδωρ το εν τη θααλα και τους λιθους και τον χουν εξελιξεν το πυρ