# Psalms Table – A Thematic Mapping of the Book of Psalms

This repository accompanies a dataset that provides a systematic thematic mapping of the **entire Book of Psalms (Tehilim)**,
based on a framework of **20 core thematic categories**.

The dataset is the result of a long-term personal research project,
developed between **2007–2020**,
and converted from an original MDB-based system into JSON format.

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## Overview

- **Dataset name:** Tehilim  
- **Total verses:** 2,527  
- **Coverage:** ~97% annotated  
- **Text language:** Biblical Hebrew  
- **Metadata languages:** Hebrew, English  
- **Version:** 3.0  

**Author:**  
Aryeh Tuchfeld (FaithBit)  
📧 aryeh.tuchfeld@gmail.com

---

## Purpose of the Dataset

The purpose of the Psalms Table is to enable **thematic and structural analysis** of the Book of Psalms.

Each verse is examined independently and may belong to **multiple categories**,
with different levels of certainty:
full fulfillment, indication, ambiguity, or explicit rejection.

The dataset is intended for:
- Textual research
- Thematic analysis of Psalms
- Comparative study across chapters and psalms
- Digital humanities research
- Future AI-assisted and computational analysis

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## Presets, Filtering, and Internal Psalms

A central feature of the model is its ability to perform **complex thematic filtering**.

The dataset includes a system of **presets** — predefined conceptual filters —
that combine multiple categories and levels of marking in order to isolate
specific spiritual, emotional, or theological patterns.

Using these presets, it is possible to extract **groups of verses that are not contiguous in the book**,
yet form a coherent and meaningful thematic sequence.

These groups may be viewed as **“internal psalms”**:
collections of verses that share a common inner logic —
a shared emotional state, faith position, or conceptual movement —
independent of the original chapter structure.

Importantly, this filtering mechanism was **not only a research output**.
It functioned as a **key tool in the annotation process itself**.

The table was filled in a non-linear manner:
filtering, clustering, comparing distant verses,
and repeatedly revisiting earlier decisions.
Presets and thematic searches made it possible to:
- detect recurring patterns,
- refine category boundaries,
- validate or question earlier markings,
- and deepen the internal consistency of the system.

In this sense, the model is both:
- a **map of Psalms**, and
- a **method for discovering that map**.

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### A Short Example

For example, filtering verses in which:
- the category **“Good for those who walk in God’s ways”** is clearly fulfilled, and
- the category **“Difficult or negative state”** appears as an indication,

yields a group of verses dealing with goodness, consolation, and trust
specifically **within hardship**.

One verse in this group is:
> **“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”**  
> (Psalms 23:4)

This verse simultaneously expresses danger and distress,
together with confidence and divine presence,
and therefore belongs to this internal psalm.

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## Dataset Structure (JSON)

The dataset includes:

- `meta` – general information about the dataset and methodology  
- `category_descriptions` – descriptions of the 20 categories  
- `legend` – explanation of cell markings  
- `presets` – predefined filters and thematic sequences  
- `tables.tblTehilim` – the main table containing all verses  

Each row represents a single verse and includes:
- Chapter number
- Verse number
- The full Hebrew text
- Category markings
- Optional explanatory notes

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## The 20 Thematic Categories

The categories were **not defined in advance**.
They gradually emerged during the annotation process itself,
through repeated identification of recurring conceptual patterns in Psalms.

1. Introduction / Conclusion  
2. Good for those who walk in God’s ways (reward)  
3. How to walk in God’s ways  
4. God’s will / God’s paths  
5. God helps, protects, and benefits  
6. Difficult or negative state  
7. Lest it become bad  
8. Fate of the wicked within Israel  
9. Fate of other wicked (non-Israel)  
10. Way of the wicked  
11. Hearing prayer / supplication  
12. Thanksgiving, blessing, praise (Hallel-Yah)  
13. Creation, miracles, power, greatness  
14. Past events  
15. Sin / error / confession  
16. Human smallness and greatness  
17. Divine justice  
18. Nations that are spared  
19. State of redemption  
20. Unclear / notes

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## Notes and Classical Commentaries

The table supports **inline notes within cells**.
Over the years, **thousands of notes** were added,
including short citations and references to classical Jewish commentators such as:

- Rashi  
- Yesod Malchut  
- Metzudat David  
- Additional sources accessed via early digital Torah databases (“Torani CD-ROM”)

These notes serve to justify, clarify, and document the reasoning behind the markings.

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## Methodology

- Manual, long-term annotation  
- Non-linear workflow driven by thematic filtering  
- Presets used as an active research instrument  
- Categories refined through repeated comparison and validation  
- Many verses reviewed multiple times across different years  

The table functioned as an **active research environment**, not merely as data storage.

---

The following image illustrates a concrete example of how a single verse is annotated within the Psalms Table.
In this example, one verse is examined across multiple thematic categories,
and for each category a specific mark is assigned according to the nature of the connection.

As shown, not all relationships are identical:
in some categories the verse directly and explicitly fulfills the theme,
in others the connection is indirect or indicative,
and in certain cases a deliberate decision was made that the verse does not belong to the category.

This example highlights that the annotation process is neither technical nor automatic.
It is a careful interpretive act,
in which a single verse may carry multiple conceptual layers simultaneously,
each evaluated independently and marked with precision.

![Psalms Table – Example of Verse Annotation](images/TH_Example_Fill_01.gif)

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## Working Environment and Development Tools

The annotation and study of the Psalms Table were not carried out as static work on a file,
but through an **interactive ASP.NET–based web application**, accessed via a browser.

The application enabled:
- Viewing the full table of verses mapped against thematic categories
- Advanced filtering by categories and marking levels
- Fast navigation between chapters and verses
- Adding notes and citations from classical commentators directly within table cells
- Continuous review, correction, and deepening over time

This working environment was a central tool in the research process,
enabling sustained, non-linear, and in-depth engagement with each individual verse.

Below is an example screenshot from the system, illustrating work on a specific chapter in the table:

![Screenshot – Psalms Table (Chapter 35 example)](images/Example%20Chap%2035.png)

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### Example of Advanced Filtering (“Good in Tough Conditions”)

The following screenshot demonstrates the use of a complex thematic filter,
combining multiple categories and marking levels,
to extract a group of verses dealing with goodness, faith, and prayer
specifically **within conditions of hardship, distress, or threat**.

Such filtering makes it possible to identify a clear thematic sequence
of verses that are not adjacent in the book,
yet together form an **“internal psalm”** with a unified conceptual focus.

![Psalms Table – Filter: Good in Tough Conditions](images/TH%20Table%20Filter%20-%20good%20in%20tough%20conditions.png)

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### Example of Combined Linguistic Search and Thematic Filtering (Enemy Joy)

This example demonstrates a combined use of **linguistic search** and **thematic filtering**.
A search was performed for the Hebrew root **“שמח”** (“joy”),
not in its general or positive sense,
but specifically in the context of **the joy of the wicked or of one’s enemies**.

By applying this focused semantic constraint,
only **five verses** were identified across the entire Book of Psalms
that explicitly address negative joy —
such as rejoicing over another’s downfall,
enemy satisfaction, or malicious happiness.

This example illustrates how the system makes it possible
to isolate a highly specific conceptual phenomenon,
one that is difficult to detect through ordinary sequential reading,
and to expose a small yet meaningful internal pattern within the book.

![Psalms Table – Filter: Searching Enemy Joy](images/TH%20Table%20Filter%20-%20Searching%20Opponent%20Happiness.png)

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## Study Process and Practical Workflow

The work on the Psalms Table was usually carried out during late-night hours,
in a quiet and highly focused study environment.
Using the application, thematic filters were used to generate “playlists” of verses,
which were then played as audio recordings
while the corresponding verses were simultaneously read and highlighted on the screen.

This combination of listening and visual focus enabled a living encounter with the verse.
At times, a verse that felt familiar in ordinary reading
revealed a new meaning when heard within a specific thematic context.
At such moments, the process was paused and the verse was re-examined —
sometimes leading to an adjustment in its category marking,
and sometimes to a new insight regarding its conceptual role.

This work was accompanied by consultation with classical rabbinic sources and commentators,
and the resulting insights were documented as notes directly within the table cells.
In this way, the table became a living space of study,
rather than a static classification structure.

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## Dataset Status

- **Estimated completion:** ~97%  
- Remaining gaps reflect intentionally unresolved or ambiguous cases

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## Document Information

- **README written:** 31/12/2025  
- **Research period:** 2007–2020
