ABSTRACT MANY recent authors of texts containing an account of the historical development of the numerical value of π write under the misapprehension that in the Old Testament its apparent

value is 3. Concerning this value, Prof. E. T. Bell writes1: “This approximation to π is famous for its occurrence in the Old Testament”. Quoting 2 Chron. 4, 2, Prof. L. Hogben deduces2 “The

ancient Hebrews were content with taking π as 3”. The late Prof. G. H. Hardy could scarcely have examined his two quotations, otherwise he would not have made the blunt observation3: “It is

stated in the Bible that π = 3”. P. Ehibreil quotes4 1 Kings 7, 23, and contrasts the approximation with Shanks's value of π to 707 decimal places. Quoting 2 Chron. 4, 2, Prof. T.

second regarding the measurements given as only approximate. Even some Biblical commentators have fallen into similar error; for example, Curtis and Madsen in their commentary7 on 2 Chron.

4, 2 suggest that the numbers are only approximations. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS

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institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS EASY COMPUTATION OF THE BAYES FACTOR TO FULLY QUANTIFY OCCAM’S RAZOR IN

LEAST-SQUARES FITTING AND TO GUIDE ACTIONS Article Open access 19 January 2022 FROM SOCIOLOGY OF QUANTIFICATION TO ETHICS OF QUANTIFICATION Article Open access 19 August 2020 PHYSICAL

INTERPRETATION OF ENTROPY, BOLTZMANN CONSTANT, AND TEMPERATURE Article Open access 31 July 2024 REFERENCES * Bell, E. T., _“The Development of Mathematics”_, 40 (McGraw-Hill, New York,

1945). Google Scholar  * Hogben, L., _“Mathematics for the Million”_, 251 (Allen and Unwin, London, 1940). MATH  Google Scholar  * Hardy, G. H., _“A Course of Pure Mathematics”_, 70

(Cambridge, 1952). Google Scholar  * Dubreil, P., _“Les Grands Courants de la Pensée Mathématique”_, edit. by le Lionnais, F., 99 (Cahiers du Sud, 1948). Google Scholar  * Dantzig, T.,

_“Number, the Language of Science”_, 113 (Allen and Unwin, London, 1947). Google Scholar  * Archbold, J. W., _“Algebra”_, 5 (Pitman, London, 1958). Google Scholar  * Curtis, E. L., and

Madsen, A. A., _“The International Critical Commentary; The Books of Chronicles”_, 331 (Clark, Edinburgh, 1910). Google Scholar  * Smith, W., _“A Dictionary of the Bible”_, 3, 1172 (Murray,

London, 1893). Google Scholar  * Montgomery, J. A., and Gehman, H. S., _“The International Critical Commentary; The Books of Kings”_, 173 (Clark, Edinburgh, 1951). Google Scholar  * Singer,

I., _“The Jewish Encyclopedia”_, 3. 357 (Funk and Wagnalls, New York, 1925). Google Scholar  Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * West Ham College of Technology,

London, E.15 J. HEADING Authors * J. HEADING View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS

ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE HEADING, J. The Value of π and the Old Testament. _Nature_ 184, 78 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/184078a0 Download citation * Issue Date: 04 July 1959 * DOI:

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