The Invention of the Alphabet

The alphabet was invented around 1800 BCE in the vicinity of Serabit el-Khadim in Sinai and decisively influenced the development of human culture. Surprisingly, it was created by Canaanite miners employed in the Egyptian turquoise mines at the site. The scripts that preceded it – Mesopotamian cuneiforms and Egyptian hieroglyphs – were exceedingly complex and consisted of hundreds of signs. Consequently, few individuals could master them. The alphabetical system, by ... Read More »
From the Catalogue »

Jug with a Proto-Canaanite inscription

Lachish, 1300–1200 BCE, pottery
Israel Antiquities Authority

This elaborate jug was found among the rich remains of a temple at Lachish. On its shoulder, familiar Canaanite motifs were painted: a lion, ibexes flanking a tree, and so forth. Above the motifs is a Canaanite dedicatory inscription: "Mattan. An offering to my Lady Elat." According to the inscription, a man named Mattan presented an offering – presumably the jug or its contents – to his mistress, the goddess Elat, who was venerated at the temple.

[ ]rn[ ], Proto-Canaanite Inscription on a dagger

Lachish, 1600–1500 BCE, bronze
Israel Antiquities Authority

Klb, part of a Proto-Canaanite inscription, perhaps from a cult vessel

Gezer, 1800–1700 BCE, pottery
Israel Antiquities Authority

Unclear Proto-Canaanite inscription; the letter resh appears twice

Shechem, 1700–1600 BCE, limestone
Israel Antiquities Authority