How can Ka'ab predicted Umar death?

Question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka%27ab_al-Ahbar

Ka'b :Amir al-Muminin, you ought to write your will because you will die in three days.
Umar : How do you know that ?
Ka'b : I found it in the Book of God, the Taurat (Old Testament).
Umar : By God do you find Umar Ibn al-Khattab in the Old Testament?
Ka'b : By God, no. But I found your description in the Old Testament and your time is coming to an end.
Umar : But I do not feel any pain or sickness

On the following day Ka'b came to Umar and said : Amir al-Mu'minin, one day has passed and you have only two more days.

The following day Ka'b came to him and said : Amir al-Mu'minin, two days have gone and you have only one day and one night remaining.

The following morning Abu Lulu appeared carrying a dagger with two heads and a handle in the middle. He hit Umar six times, one of them hit the Caliph in the navel, killing him.

Note: Torah is only the first 5 books of Judaism, not the whole "old testament"

What did Ka'ab actually saw in Torah? Encoded message? Any historical hadists on this?

Note 2: I am not a muslim. I am an agnostic examining supernatural claims of religions.

Answer 1

It should be noted, that the hadith in your question is not Authentic, it is false. Ka'b never predicted that Umar would die in three days, furthermore the description of Umar and when he would die is not in the Tauraat.

Answer 2

Your question is an interesting one and, I think, it is quite logical.

I do not agree with an answer given by a friend who outrightly rejected the authenticity of the narration (of course, it is should not be thought of as a hadees). The incident is quoted by Tabari (History of al-Tabari, v4, p191, Printed by Dar al-Maarif - Cairo). Looking at the Old Testament, one does not find any names or predictions of Umar. Also no Rabbi other than Ka’b claimed that the Old Testament predicted the existence of Umar, his murder, or defined the time of his death.

My own analysis of the incident is if the above account were true, it would imply that Hz. Umar’s assassination was a conspiracy of Ka’b and his associates. Announcing the event before it took place would make the companions believe in what Ka’b predicted and what he claimed to be recorded in the Old Testament, therefore making him a reliable source for future information. Such confidence would enable him to interfere in major events and suggest the name of the future Caliph. A number of prominent companions believed the information that Ka’b used to fabricate pertaining to the past and the future.

Umar and a number of prominent companions had a very positive attitude towards Kaab. However, Hz. Ali discredited Kaab. Kaab did not dare to come close to Hz. Ali, despite the fact that the he was in Medina for the duration of Kaab’s stay. It is reported that ‘Ali said about Kaab: Certainly he is a professional liar!

Let me know if my humble attempt to get closer to answering your question was successful.

Stay blessed!