The 340 is a Skytale Cipher!

[Paul_Averly]

Major Congrats to doranchak! If anyone could do it, he and his team were definitely the ones!

I too have something to contribute to this major breakthrough.

Remember this book: Codes and Ciphers By John Laffin?


Published in 1964 and featured the Zodiac Alphabet. (also available in the Riverside Library)
doranchak actually has a thread about it here:
http://www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtop ... =81&t=2915


Long story short. The 340 solution appears to match up to the Skytail method of encoding featured in the book.
https://www.dcode.fr/scytale-cipher


The first part (9 lines / 153 characters) of the message encodes to (***9 Turns***):
IRONCAOOIIERGRTMIHETTATNWNNIAABWECOHSRTWTWGTAISEITEPAOYCAHHSAMDCCLOAEVFIHSEIUBNOHALPLYIFNMNTCPOOFAUSALONUGETVHAUTTMSERTUGNTTMSBPTAHBENA·ALIOHEHROMFEEIDD·

I have not fully verified this, but it seems to match the key provided by doranchak.
https://i.imgur.com/Ys2mpXe.png

[Mr lowe]

it will be interesting if it is i was on the skytale horse for a long time. . i skytaled to death thousands of variants and ended with a fistfull of nothing.

[Paul_Averly]

Here is a good example with the first section.

Text;
I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FA.N IN TRYING TO CATCH METHAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW WHICH BRINGO. UP A POINT ABOUT ME I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER BECAA.SE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADCE ALL THE

Using the Key, but still scrambled, Official version:
IRONCAOOIIERGRTMLECHETTATNWNNIAABWEITEOHSRTWTWGTAISDCCLOAPAOYCAHHO.AMBNOHALPLEVFIHSEIUCPOOFAA.SALYIFNMNTTVHAUTTMSERTONA.GETTMSBPTAHBENAHUGNLIOHEHROMFEEIDDEA

Using the 'text' and encoding it with a random Skytail encoder (first web based one I even tried *9 turns ; https://www.dcode.fr/scytale-cipher)
IRONCAOOIIERGRTMIHETTATNWNNIAABWECOHSRTWTWGTAISEITEPAOYCAHHSAMDCCLOAEVFIHSEIUBNOHALPLYIFNMNTCPOOFAUSALONUGETVHAUTTMSERTUGNTTMSBPTAHBENA·ALIOHEHROMFEEIDD·

There will be variations in the encoding methods modern computer vs original pen and paper. But look at how close sections of the two are:

IRONCAOOIIERGRTMLECHETTATNWNNIAABWE ITEOHSR TWTWGTAISDCCLOA PAOYCAHHO.AMBNOHALPLEVFIHSEIUCPOOFAA.SALYIFNMNTTVHAUTTMSERTONA.GETTMSBPTAHBENAHUGNLIOHEHRO MFEEIDDEA
IRONCAOOIIERGRTMIHETTATNWNNI AABWE COHSRTW TWGTAISEITE PAOYCAHHS AMDCCLOAEVFIHSEIUBNOHALPLYI FNMNTCPOOFAUSALONUGETVHAUTTMSERTUGNTTMSBPTAHBENA·ALIOHEHRO MFEEIDD·

It falls apart in sections, but the first few lines match up, as does the end. Other sections as well. Can it be this close and just be a coincidence?

[deucelow]

NOT coincidence in my mind. Great find!

That similarity really is beyond uncanny. What more do we know about this Laffin book? Was it just a publically available tome on codemaking?

[jacob]

Skytale...what do you see when you gaze into the night sky? Begins with Z.