“Obama” Appears as Rashei Teivos in the Tanach

OK, so I realize this is not the type of material I normally post on this blog, but the Swine Flu story got so much attention I thought I would try something along the same line. (Incidentally, although I am the one who broke the news of Swine Flu or something similar appearing in the Talmud, no one gave me credit, for obvious reasons.)

Now, there is already a well known “Obama code” where the name Obama appears in every seven letters of Ezekiel 38:2-3, starting with the alef (א) in the word נשיא (president).

But I discovered two other places in the Tanach where the name Obama is encoded, although this time, rather than ELS, the name appears as rashei teivos (initial letters). In these cases, the name is spelled differently from the case above. The case above includes an alef for the first “a” sound (אובאמה), where another common spelling leaves it out (אובמה).

And although I am not particularly political or anti-Obama, nor am I a superstitious type of person, I have to admit these two passages are kind of creepy.

Here is the first occurrence:

The guards, each with his weapons at the ready, stationed themselves — from the south end of the House to the north end of the House, at the altar and the House — to guard the king on every side. (2 Kings 11:11, NJPS)

וַיַּעַמְדוּ הָרָצִים אִישׁ וְכֵלָיו בְּיָדוֹ, מִכֶּתֶף הַבַּיִת הַיְמָנִית עַד כֶּתֶף הַבַּיִת הַשְּׂמָאלִית לַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְלַבָּיִת עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ סָבִיב. (מלכים ב יא, יא)

Here is the second:

But you are all kindlers of fire, Girding on firebrands. Walk by the blaze of your fire, By the brands that you have lit! This has come to you from My hand: You shall lie down in pain. (Isaiah 50:11, NJPS)

הֵן כֻּלְּכֶם קֹדְחֵי אֵשׁ מְאַזְּרֵי זִיקוֹת לְכוּ בְּאוּר אֶשְׁכֶם וּבְזִיקוֹת בִּעַרְתֶּם מִיָּדִי הָיְתָה זֹּאת לָכֶם לְמַעֲצֵבָה תִּשְׁכָּבוּן. (ישעיהו נ, יא)

Any thoughts?

Note: Before drafting this post I did some searching to see if anyone else happened upon these finds and I didn’t find anything. If someone else spotted these before me I would be happy to credit them with the discovery.