Hi all,

I am encountering a frustrating problem. Essentially I can't determine which letter and word count of the Pentateuch is the most accurate. According to another thread on this site, the Bible Wheel utilizes B.H.S. 4th Edition.

For Exodus I have:
Total Words: 16709
Total Letters: 63531

Based on the database provided by the site. I have gone over my work twice, and there are no errors in my copying of this information.

Yet I have found other sources which cite 16,713 (as the official Torah Scroll count) and 16,723 (Aishdas.org count) as the number of words.

Furthermore, most sources agree there are 63,529 Letters, not 63,531.

I understand the BHS is based on a masoretic text, but is it accurate enough to be reliable? How does the Bible Wheel database divide words and letters? Does it count dashes "like -" as a letter?

It matters immensely because I'm looking for something very specific dealing with the number of letters and words in each section of the Pentateuch, but I need to work from the most accurate version possible. Any help in this matter, or pointers to how I can better research it, would be greatly appreciated.