Post by Rubislaw32 on Jun 29, 2017 10:26:24 GMT -8
On July 31st 1969,Zodiac mailed three San Francisco Newspapers,part each,of a three part cipher,which came to be known as ''Z408''.
The whole cipher was published shortly afterwards,and,within 48 hours,amateur enthusiasts,Don and Bettye Harden,had solved it.
.......apart from the final 18 characters which,when translated in keeping with the rest of the cipher,appeared as a mystifying anagram.
The final 18 alphabetic solution letters [plaintext] were presumed to be : EBEORIETEMETHHPITI
This was on the assumption that the symbol ''E'',in cipher text,was equivalent to the letter ''E'',in plain text.
Well,this was true - BUT,the symbol ''E'',in cipher text,was ALSO equivalent to the letter ''S'',in plain text.
This can be illustrated by the word ''DANGEROUS'',in the solution's message,which has always been presumed to have been an error,made by Zodiac,and actually read as ''DANGEROUE''.
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SO !!!!!......what Zodiac actually left,at the end of his ''408'' cipher solution,were the alphabetic letters ''EBSORIETEMSTHHPITI''
Solved as an anagram,Zodiac leaves us with a ''flourish'' of ''generosity of spirit'' [.....whatever,next ?....].
The final revelation :
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TO ME,HERB IS PITHIEST
It would seem that Zodiac did have a soft spot for newspaper columnist,Herb Caen,and ''elected'' to express this,given a requirement to complete his cipher.
We might,perhaps compare Zodiac's assessment of Count Marco,whom Zodiac probably found ''the wittiest''....but that view seems to have soured,over time [?].
Pithiest : A superlative adjective,describing language or style,as terse and vigorously expressed.
''To me,Herb is pithiest.''
-----------------------
The whole cipher was published shortly afterwards,and,within 48 hours,amateur enthusiasts,Don and Bettye Harden,had solved it.
.......apart from the final 18 characters which,when translated in keeping with the rest of the cipher,appeared as a mystifying anagram.
The final 18 alphabetic solution letters [plaintext] were presumed to be : EBEORIETEMETHHPITI
This was on the assumption that the symbol ''E'',in cipher text,was equivalent to the letter ''E'',in plain text.
Well,this was true - BUT,the symbol ''E'',in cipher text,was ALSO equivalent to the letter ''S'',in plain text.
This can be illustrated by the word ''DANGEROUS'',in the solution's message,which has always been presumed to have been an error,made by Zodiac,and actually read as ''DANGEROUE''.
----------------------------------------
SO !!!!!......what Zodiac actually left,at the end of his ''408'' cipher solution,were the alphabetic letters ''EBSORIETEMSTHHPITI''
Solved as an anagram,Zodiac leaves us with a ''flourish'' of ''generosity of spirit'' [.....whatever,next ?....].
The final revelation :
-----------------------
TO ME,HERB IS PITHIEST
It would seem that Zodiac did have a soft spot for newspaper columnist,Herb Caen,and ''elected'' to express this,given a requirement to complete his cipher.
We might,perhaps compare Zodiac's assessment of Count Marco,whom Zodiac probably found ''the wittiest''....but that view seems to have soured,over time [?].
Pithiest : A superlative adjective,describing language or style,as terse and vigorously expressed.
''To me,Herb is pithiest.''
-----------------------