Paleo-Hebrew alphabet

The Paleo-Hebrew script is an ancient writing system used in southern Canaan, which includes the areas known as Israel (Samaria) and Judah. It is believed to have been the script used for the original texts of the Bible. This writing system is very similar to the Samaritan script and was described in old writings as the "Livonaʾa script," possibly meaning "Lebanon script."

The first Paleo-Hebrew inscription found by modern scholars was discovered in 1870 and was called "two large ancient Hebrew inscriptions in Phoenician letters." Today, fewer than 2,000 of these inscriptions are known, with most containing just a single letter or word. The oldest examples date back to the 10th century BCE.

Like the Phoenician alphabet, the Paleo-Hebrew script is a regional version of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, which came from the Proto-Sinaitic script. It is made up of 22 letters that represent sounds, without any vowel signs. By around the 5th century BCE, this script was mostly replaced by the Aramaic alphabet, which then evolved into the modern Hebrew alphabet. However, the Samaritan script continued directly from the Paleo-Hebrew without changes.

History

Origins

Main articles: Phoenician alphabet and Proto-Sinaitic alphabet

The Paleo-Hebrew and Phoenician alphabets grew after the end of a big change called the Bronze Age collapse. They came from an older writing style called Proto-Canaanite during the 13th to 12th centuries BCE.

The oldest known writing in the Paleo-Hebrew style is the Zayit Stone. It was found on a wall at Tel Zayit in ancient Judea in 2005. This stone, which weighs about 38 pounds, has 22 letters carved on one side. It is thought to be from around the mid-10th century BCE. Another old writing piece is the Gezer Calendar, also from about the 10th century BCE.

By the 8th century BCE, the Paleo-Hebrew script began to change and split into different styles used in places like Israel, Judah, Moab, Edom, Phoenicia, and Aram.

Use in the Israelite kingdoms

The Paleo-Hebrew alphabet was widely used in the kingdoms of Israel and Judah during the 8th and 7th centuries BCE. But in the 6th century BCE, during a time called the Babylonian exile, people started using the Imperial Aramaic alphabet instead. The Samaritans kept using their own version of the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet, called the Samaritan script.

The Paleo-Hebrew script changed over time, becoming more like handwriting. Some of the oldest writings show these changes, like the Siloam inscription and many inscriptions from Jerusalem. One of the most advanced handwriting styles is seen in letters found at Lachish, written just before a big event in 586 BCE.

Decline and late survival

Further information: History of the Hebrew alphabet

After the Babylonian capture of Judea, some people kept using the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet. For example, jar handles from Gibeon from the 6th century BCE have names written in this script.

From the 5th century BCE, the Aramaic language and writing became more common for official uses. But Paleo-Hebrew was still used by some writers.

The Paleo-Hebrew script was used for special or old-fashioned writing for a time. It appears in some old religious texts found near Tel Qumran, dated to the 2nd to 1st centuries BCE. The Paleo-Hebrew alphabet was used on many coins from the time of the First Jewish–Roman War and Bar Kokhba's revolt. It was not used by Jews after 135 CE.

Legacy

Samaritan alphabet

Main article: Samaritan alphabet

The paleo-Hebrew alphabet was used by the Samaritans and slowly changed into the Samaritan alphabet. Today, the Samaritans still use this special writing for both Hebrew and Aramaic texts. This script has stayed the same over many years and is mainly used for writing books.

Talmud

The Talmudic sages had different ideas about Paleo-Hebrew. Some thought it was the first writing used by the Israelites when they left Egypt, while another group believed it was only used when the main writing (the Assyrian Script) was lost. Both groups agreed that Ezra the Scribe around 500 BCE started using the Assyrian script more often for the Hebrew language. Some sages even believed the writing never really changed, pointing to special shapes of letters as proof.

Contemporary use

Today, Proto-Hebrew is rarely used in Israel, but you can sometimes see it in special designs, like on the ₪1 coin and in the logo of the town Nahariyah.

Archaeology

In 2019, the Israel Antiquities Authority found a 2,600-year-old seal with Paleo-Hebrew writing during digs at the City of David. Experts think it belonged to an official named "Nathan-Melech" who worked for King Josiah.

Table of letters

Main article: Phoenician alphabet § Table of letters

The Phoenician and Paleo-Hebrew letters look very similar and were not standardized. Over time, from about 800 BCE to 600 BCE, the writing became more cursive, meaning it looked more like handwriting. After 500 BCE, different names like "Samaritan" or "Aramaic" were used to describe the various forms of the script, depending on the language of the inscription or its location.

Unicode

Unicode has a special block called Phoenician (U+10900–U+1091F). This block is used for writing many ancient scripts, including the Palaeo-Hebrew script. It can also be used for other old scripts like Archaic Phoenician, Early Aramaic, Late Phoenician cursive, Phoenician papyri, Siloam Hebrew, Hebrew seals, Ammonite, Moabite, and Punic.