Though the book seems to have been written for intermediate-age school children, the problems are engaging enough to challenge almost anyone. They do require a little work.

Pallas emphasizes that while the codes in the book are usable and useful, they aren't really very secure. But he does include an interesting discussion on choosing an encryption system that meets your needs—ease of use vs. security. I enjoyed this approach.

This book is fun. I bought it at the same time as the other two because I didnt know what each would really be like. If I had to have only one, Pallas's book would be a good compromise between applicability and general information on codes. It would be a great stocking-stuffer for an alert child (or adult). I could easily see a codebreaking club formed as a result of reading Pallas's book.

Gaines's, Gardner's, and Pallas's books, and several others on codes and ciphers, are published by Dover Books in unusually handsome but inexpensive paperbacks. You can obtain them directly from the publisher. Write for one of Dover's interesting catalogs.

The incident that generated this very enlightening edict from God began as a jealous bid by Miriam and Aaron to elevate themselves to the same status as Moses, God's friend.

This pattern, speaking through prophets in riddles, forms the basis of God's communication with man throughout the Mosaic Dispensation, and even through today.

An interesting example of code, in the form of symbols, is found in Joshua 4, 1-7:
"When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 'Take twelve men from the people, one from each tribe, and order them to lift up twelve stones from this place, out of the middle of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood firm. They are to carry them across and set them down in the camp where you spend the night.' Joshua summoned the twelve men whom he had chosen out of the Israelites, one man from each tribe, and said to them, 'Cross over in front of the Ark of the Lord your God as far as the middle of the Jordan, and let each of you take a stone and hoist it on his shoulder, one for each of the tribes of Israel. These stones are to stand as a memorial among you; and in days to come, when your children ask you what these stones mean, you shall tell them how the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord when it crossed the Jordan. Thus these stones will always be a reminder to the Israelites.'"

Hundreds of years later, when Israel had lost consistent contact with God in the time of the Judges, God used secret writing to convince one young man to follow His instructions. The man was Gideon; the task was to engage and defeat the Midianite army; the message was written in dew on a sheepskin. To read the remarkable arrangement of the code and its key, read The Book of Judges, chapter 6.

During the same period of time, about three hundred years punctuated by regular rises and falls of Israel's economic and spiritual fortunes, another man used secret writing to toy with his enemies. The story of Samson's riddle is told in Judges chapter 14. The riddle, itself, is not the exciting part of the story, but the way the riddle was solved by Samson's enemies.

Again, very much later, the Nation of Israel was being held captive in Babylon. Systematically the Jewish culture was being broken down by the Babylonians and the Jewish people were being assimilated into this pagan culture–not as full citizens, but as a slave class.

King Belshazzar was holding an orgiastic feast and using sacred Jewish tabernacle articles as common plates and cups. They drank toasts to their gods with them. During the drunken merriment there appeared, quite suddenly, the fingers of a human hand. It wrote on the plaster of the wall in plain sight of everyone. The king saw the writing hand and became limp with fear and began to tremble.
"Whoever can read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall be robed in purple and honoured with a chain of gold round his neck and shall rank as third in the kingdom." The Book of Daniel, 5: 7.

But none of his wise men, exorcists, or diviners were able to decipher the written words. One of them remembered a Jew, a man named Daniel, who was skilled at interpreting dreams. They called him to the scene and asked him to translate this message:
"Mene mene tekel u-pharsin." (v. 25)

To read the interpreted message you'll need to read Daniel, chapter 5. The story is terrifying, but also remarkable. Is this fragment of writing a code, or is it a tiny sample of the original language, from times before the Tower of Babel? No matter which, it is secret writing.

In the Bible's New Testament Jesus used parables, seemingly simple stories, to teach God's word to the people He encountered. In one case his own apostles (disciples then) asked Him a significant question about his teaching methods:
"'...Why do You speak to them in parables?' He replied, 'It has been granted to you to know the secrets of the kingdom of Heaven; but to these others it has not been granted. For the man who has will be given more, till he has enough and to spare; and the man who has not will forfeit even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables; for they look without seeing, and listen without hearing or understanding. There is a prophecy of Isaiah which is being fulfilled in them: "You may hear and hear, but you will never understand; you may look and look, but you will never see. For this people's mind has become gross; their ears are dulled, and their eyes are closed. Otherwise, their eyes might see, their ears hear, and their mind understand, and then they might turn again, and I would heal them."'" Matthew, 13: 10-15.)

Perhaps the greatest example of secret writing is the New Testament book of prophecy, The Revelation of John. Here is an entire book of God's word, revealed to us in secret writing. But there is a difference here—no key is provided, no interpretation is given.

Why would God use secret writing? The answer is still found in His talk with Miriam, Aaron, and Moses in Numbers chapter 12, and in Jesus' answer to His disciples' question in Matthew chapter 13. God uses secret writing–secret meanings, really–to reveal His truth to simple, faithful believers and to conceal it from the merely curious. His codes reveal the true believers.

Cryptography is a fascinating study. You can read more about it by enquiring on one of the internet search engines. You'll be fascinated at the subjects covered and the tremendous amount of material available.

   See you next time for more reviews of interesting books. To read book reviews from previous issues see "Back Issues" in our "Library."