My post yesterday regarding the Alphabetical strings in Cipher 1 may have been confusing so I put together a step by step on How and Why TB added the strings.
I hope this helps and as always you can contact me through DM with questions.
Gilloby indicated the strings were added while Cipher 1 was being made up proving the story is a hoax.
Jan 2025 I agreed with his reasoning, stopped looking and posted my research here in April. I decided I would only begin again if I could find a different explanation for the strings.
As described in this post, the strings could also have been added security and used to obstruct/redact parts of the Cipher 1 message. This would indicate Cipher 1 is real and not made up.
I now believe Gillogly didn't look deep enough.
I also believe anyone who claims to have solved the ciphers without understanding the strings would have only a partial solve since they wouldn't have the redacted parts of the message.
I.e., one side of the medallion in Raiders.
Even with this knowledge of the strings you still need to find the correct document which is the only way Cipher 1 can be solved. I have no plans to pursue any further.
Other explanations of the strings considered but failed...
1. Vigenere or Gronsfeld cipher
2. Use of multiple documents
3. Ignoring the strings
4. Hidden message in string cipher numbers
The questions i have are....why use alphabetical strings and bring attention to the obstructed parts of the Cipher 1 message? And why sprinkle letters/numbers from the strings throughout Cipher 1 which allows someone to decode the redacted strings?
I only have one explanation...the author of the story and ciphers put the strings there.
1. He sets the stage by decoding Cipher 2 using a KEY created from the DOI.
2. He then uses the DOI KEY to reveal the alphabetical strings to a serious reader.
3. When the reader finds the correct document, they get a somewhat readable message but not entirely due to the strings and sprinkled letters from the strings.
It would look alot like the Cipher 2 message before it's corrected for the mistakes but the methods used on the DOI won't work for the sprinkled letters.
4. Its not until the reader realizes the sprinkled letters can be used to decode the words with those letters and then eventually decode the redacted words of the strings.
Conclusion... Cipher 1 is real but won't lead to treasure. The author is providing the serious reader with a very clever brain teaser.
My post yesterday regarding the Alphabetical strings in Cipher 1 may have been confusing so I put together a step by step on How and Why TB added the strings.
