“Their primary purpose, their mission—their first order of business—the complete statistical analysis of the book.”

Back in September 1947, when they were first commissioned, they had been tasked with exploring what Sir Isaac Newton had been working on—an enigma that had fascinated them for decades. Under the directive of President Harry S. Truman, the NSA secured funding for a clandestine commission specializing in encryption and analysis. Their primary purpose, their mission—their first order of business—the complete statistical analysis of the book. To that end, they covertly filtered funding through the Army.