Origination of the Alphabet

(May 30, 2023) Syllabic cuneiform writing (examples: BAB, BA, AB) was invented by the Sumerians around 3500 BCE for writing on clay. This writing was then adopted by the Akkadian speakers of Mesopotamia during the early Bronze Age for the purposes of empire, trade, and temple. Inspired by this example via contact in Anatolia but needing a simpler lighter writing system, Akkadian speaking Minoan traders around 2000 BCE invented a phonetic writing system for trade and temple (examples: AB, BA). With this system they wrote the Phaistos Disk and Linear A tablets. By 1500 BCE this writing system was further simplified by allowing the phonetic signs to have any trailing vowel sound, in effect, making them a consonant letter sign. This was the birth of the alphabet.

These 800-700 BCE fluted bowls seem to have been made in Etruscan lands in Italy and traded to wherever Akkadian was still being written.

Writing Development was Motivated by Trade Initially Controlled by Temple Palaces

(July 4, 2022) Akkadian became the world’s first empire language for use in temple, trade and government when the world’s first empire was established in Mesopotamia by Sargon of Akkad (2334-2279 BCE). The Akkadians adopted the writing idea from the Sumerian temple estates of southern Mesopotamia and used it to organize their economy and rule. The distant spatial control made possible by writing allowed empires to exist for the first time in history. Writing, trade, and empire go hand in hand.

This first writing scheme was syllabic with each syllable represented by a cuneiform sign. The wedge patterns of cuneiform was a natural way write on clay which was abundant in Mesopotamia. The writing was syllabic (dab, da, ad) because that is the most accurate way to represent sound patterns of a language. Yet this made for a complex writing system only usable by well-educated specialists (scribes).

By 2000 BCE Akkadian cuneiform writing had spread to distant Anatolia where Akkadian speaking traders from the early Assyrian Empire had established distant trading outposts to ensure their own bronze supply. This is evidenced by their thousands of cuneiform trade tablets found in Anatolia dating to between 2000 and 1800 BCE (Bryce 1998).

This demand for bronze was soon felt along the Anatolian coast and its nearby Islands. By 1900 BCE these regions had copied Assyrian trading methods including cuneiform writing.

References

Bryce, Trevor (1998) The Kingdom of the Hittites. Oxford University Press

Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments

Image shows the Minoan Phaistos Disk with phonetic sign assignments by Olmsted. Sign assignment charts here.

Minoan Phaistos Disk (1900 BCE)

The earliest translated example of this new Mediterranean writing is from Crete and is the Minoan Phaistos Disk. It dates to 1800 BCE. Stamps were used to impress the signs upon the unfired clay disk before it was fired. The disk is a philosophical/religious debate about the cause of a drought (Olmsted June 2020). As in Sumeria and Egypt, temples were the main economic centers of the Minoans and they quickly adopted writing for religious purposes.

Some of the signs on the Phaistos Disk are the direct ancestor of the signs used in our alphabet and that allowed for its translation. The transition to phonetic writing allowed the immediate use of letters because they are simply wildcard phonemes in which their following vowel sound can by anything. The Phaistos Disk is a mix of letters and phonemes as shown in the chart below.

Minoan Linear A Text Listing Supplies for Coordinating the Spiritual Powers

Heraklion Museum tablet 2 as it appeared in 2019 in the Heraklion Museum in Crete. This Linear A text reads left to right. Sign assignments by Olmsted (Olmsted personal photo)

Minoan Linear A Work Order Tablet - 1700 BCE

(November 25, 2022, Updated December 8, 2024) Minoan text table 2 now at the Heraklion Museum

Translation in Akkadian (Minoan Text 9)

(read left to right. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs are italic bold, Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration)
Letter Chart Used: Bronze Age Rune Chart

Pā MaLī Ṭu 20 Qu Da
5 ḪaQa Qa Rȗ 7
QuTu E Ḫu ḪiTu Ṭu DaLa 11
EḪu Ḫu 1 ŠāḪu Ya 1 Wa Ku
Tu 1 Ku Bu Ya 1 ETû 6

In English

For the Opening counter-balancing-powers of Thu 20. For the life-threads of the Manifester (Yahu)
5. For mixing the threader eagle-vultures 7.
For ending the ineffectiveness of Hu hitting Thu's water-transporters 11.
For shouting-out at Hu 1. For not catching the wind 1. For curses involving
astrology-magic 1. For involvements not nourishing 1. For the boundary 6.

Minoan workshop tag with inscriptions from Malia

Notice the hole for twine at the tip just like modern shipping tags. Sign assignments by Olmsted (Image from foldout 3 of Goldart and Poursat 1978)

Modern shipping tag

Minoan Linear A Shipping Tag 3 From Port City of Malia (1700 BCE)

(May 30, 2023) The next stage of the alphabet was the elimination of sign stamps and the beginning use of scratching to form signs and letters. This next stage is represented by Minoan Linear A texts and the texts at Wadi el-Hol which appeared after 1700 BCE which had their signs scratched onto clay tablets which were then dried in the sun. This "writing" was also likely soon applied to wood but those have not survived in the archaeological record.

Translation into Akkadian

(read point to base. Large letters on items, small letters are inferred inner vowels. Verb in italic bold)

Gi Pu Qi Ya | (Minoan Text 1.3.1)

English

For emotional-energy to not affect thread-empowered openings | ____

This tag describes some as yet unnamed items for use in rituals to inhibit the ability of the motion powers (energy, Gi) from affecting the life powers. Specifically, from inhibiting the flow of the fertility fluids in the threads (channels) which trigger the manifestation of life on earth.

References

Godart, L. and Poursat, J-C (1978) Malia. Le Quartier Mu 1. Introduction générale par J.-Cl. Poursat. Écriture hiéroglyphique crétoise par L. Godart et J.-P. Olivier. Études crétoises, 23, 1978 - 2021 École Française d'Athènes. Online at: https://cefael.efa.gr/detail.php?site_id=1&actionID=page&serie_id=EtCret&volume_number=23&ce=oatbaqmb7gsvpv7saktgh9sd9dd7b3sr&sp=230

Minoan Linear A Was Simplified as it Spread Eastwards from Crete To Egypt and Levant (1500 BCE to 1200 BCE)

(August 19, 2023) Spread of Alphabetic Akkadian writing as known in 2023. Red is the Bronze Age spread from Minoan Phaistos disk. The northern branch is Minoan Linear A script which became Phoenician script while the southern branch is the Serabit el-Khadim script. At this time the Minoans had extensive trade relations with the New Kingdom of Egypt. Orange is the spread after the collapse of the Bronze Age. The last major Alphabetic Akkadian text is the Codex Runicus of 1190 CE from Denmark. All the Nordic runes texts are Akkadian and this codex (book) is the culmination of Druid philosophical writing which began with the debate recorded on the Minoan Phaistos Disk. The Druid civilization with its decentralized government, trade, religion and freedom of expression was the real beginning of Western (now Oceanic) civilization.

Map showing caravan route out of the ancient Egyptian city of Luxor through the Wadi el-Ḥôl and heading towards the oases in the desert. The inscriptions were found one day out from Luxor where the caravanners would have camped.

Wadi el-Ḥôl in Egypt

(Jan 15, 2023) This is the first translation of the two graffiti texts found at the exit of Wadi el-Ḥôl ("Wadi of Terror") in the Qena bend area of Egypt. These texts were found by John and Deborah Darnell during their 1993-94 excavation season (Darnell, and all 2005). Their location was the first night’s camping spot on a caravan route out of Luxor, the longtime Egyptian capital in the center of the country. At the time Luxor was re-establishing its power and would soon become the capital of a newly reunited Egypt in 1550 BCE. Its 18th dynasty rulers (1550-1295 BCE) would soon reunite Egypt by throwing out the Akkadian speaking rulers from the Levant known as the Hyksos (c. 1640-1550 BC). Based upon later Minoan buildings found in the Hyksos capital of Avaris, the Luxor Egyptians seem to formed an alliance with the Minoans who taught their writing to the Akkadian speakers of the Levant (the Israelites).

References

Darnell, J.C.; Dobbs-Allsopp, F.W.; Lundberg, M.J.; McCarter, P.K.; Zuckerman, B. (2005) Two Early Alphabetic Inscriptions from the Wadi el-Ḥôl. The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Volume 59. Boston. American School of Oriental Research. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/19066825/Two_Early_Alphabetic_Inscriptions_from_the_Wadi_el_H%C3%B4l_New_Evidence_for_the_Origin_of_the_Alphabet_from_the_Western_Desert_of_Egypt
Shaw, Ian -editor (2000) Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press

Egyptian Wadi el-Ḥôl Horizontal Inscription. Photo from Darnell and all, 2005. Sign assignments by Olmsted using Bronze Age Sign Chart.

Photo from West Semitic Research Project, Photo by Bruce Zuckerman with scratched inscriptions inked for clarity by Marylin Lundberg 1999. Online at: https://dornsife.usc.edu/wsrp/
White letter assignments added by David Olmsted

The Horizontal Inscription at Wadi el-Ḥôl Egypt Is a Minoan Linear A Variant Which Defends Magic (1500 BCE)

(May 30, 2023) This text defends magic as a necessary component of the divine realm. The shapes of these letters are intermediate between the signs of the Phaistos Disk and Linear A indicating the author is not Minoan but someone else, probably an Akkadian speaking Phoenician because Phoenicians were always for magic.

Akkadian Translation (Sinai Text 1.2)

A Su MūBû Na
ḪaMû Inu Ku Nu Mu
Na Lu Bu Gu

English

Those Su powers are mobilizing the Revealer (Kate/Hekate)
Mobility from the Moon-Eye (Su) is getting involved with Revealer's fertility-fluids
The Revealer is lacking energized nourishments

Egyptian Wadi el-Ḥôl Vertical Inscription. Photo from Darnell and all, 2005. Sign assignments by Olmsted using Bronze Age Sign Chart.

The Vertical Inscription at Wadi el-Ḥôl Egypt Is a Minoan Linear A Variant Which Attacks Magic (1500 BCE)

(May 30, 2023) The large Egyptian Ankh life sign (head, outstretched arms, body) indicates the text is about life powers. In this case the text is stating that the fertility fluids which flow through the life network are not being pushed enough, that is, they are not being energized. Blame is being placed on magic.

The shapes of these letters are intermediate between the signs of the Phaistos Disk and Linear A indicating the author is not Minoan but someone else, probably an Akkadian speaking Israelite because Israelites were always against magic.

Akkadian Translation (Sinai Text 1.1)

(read top to bottom. Large letters on items, small letters are inferred inner vowels. Verb in italic bold)

Mu WA Tu Gu
Ḫu Pu Qu
Tu Ya
WA Ri Lu

English

Fertility-fluids are energized by fate-curses of magic
Hu (Sun god representing the life network) is opening the threads
Don't make magic
Fate-curses cause a lack of eagle-vulture-powers

Comment

Eagle-Vultures edit the connections of the life threads (channels)

Lachish Ritual Comb with Text. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/88746893/Daniel_Vainstub_Madeleine_Mumcuoglu_Michael_G_Hasel_Katherine_M_Hesler_Miriam_Lavi_Rivka_Rabinovich_Yuval_Goren_and_Yosef_Garfinkel_A_Canaanites_Wish_to_Eradicate_Lice_on_an_Inscribed_Ivory_Comb_from_Lachish

Minoan Linear A Ivory Comb Text from Lachish Israel (1400 BCE)

(November 21, 2022)

Text in Akkadian Linear A

(Read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verb is italic bold).

[ ] Gi
Qu AKu [ 2 ]P Ḫi - (P has no vertical handle, Ḫi is more image based than normal for this time and likely is the missing Phaistos Disk version)
ŠiGi ṢMa Qu Ki Q‘ u Nu - (notice the small vertical line on the Ṣ which is a merger of Linear A styles)

(Dual use letters are E/H, I/Y, U/W, and '/A in which vowel appears at beginning of words except for Yahu which is keeping its traditional Hebrew transliteration)

Text Translated into English

……. emotional-energy
Life-threads, emotion-owls [2 unreadable words ] Hu-powers
Conflict is dehydrating the threads which involves envy of the Revealer (Yahu)

Shin (Ṣ) and Sade (Š) sounds in Alphabetic Akkadian are reversed from Hebrew, a fact which seems to be reflected in the Shibboleth story of Judges 12:6.

Comment

The only word remaining in this line indicates the text is talking about magical emotional energy. Feelings are what was transmitted to the divine realm.
Hu is the connective masculine life power who was represented by the sun. At a deeper level he represented the life network which transmitted life powers (fertility fluids) to the earth from the divine realm. Emotion owls are the mechanism in which emotion magic affects this life network (life-threads). This line is missing its verb so we do not know what sort of interaction is happening.
The root cause of some drought are the feelings of envy in the population which is driving conflict. The target of this envy or anger is Yahu to when triggered by the fertility fluids reveals and manifests the invisible life-forms. A common epithet for Yahu is "Revealer." The "power of Yahu" is "Yahweh."

References

Daniel Vainstub, Madeleine Mumcuoglu, Michael G. Hasel, Katherine M. Hesler, Miriam Lavi, Rivka Rabinovich, Yuval Goren and Yosef Garfinkel (2022). A Canaanite’s Wish to Eradicate Lice on an Inscribed Ivory Comb from Lachish. Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology 2: 76–119. ISSN: 2788-8819; https://doi.org/10.52486/01.00002.4; https://jjar.huji.Also online at: https://www.academia.edu/88746893/Daniel_Vainstub_Madeleine_Mumcuoglu_Michael_G_Hasel_Katherine_M_Hesler_Miriam_Lavi_Rivka_Rabinovich_Yuval_Goren_and_Yosef_Garfinkel_A_Canaanites_Wish_to_Eradicate_Lice_on_an_Inscribed_Ivory_Comb_from_Lachish

Photo of alphabetic inscription from Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim

Photo and drawing of Butin’s inscription 353 (text 3) from Mine L (Butin 1928). It is now at the Cairo Museum were it was deposited by Petrie. Red letter assignments by Olmsted

Wall Relief from Mine L at Serabit el-Khadim Blames Human Emotion Magic for Causing the Great Drought (Sinai Text 3)

(August 6) Only one sign in this text is phonetic like that found in Minoan Linear A. This text blames human emotion magic for causing chaos in the network. It absolves from blame the astrological motion powers. This anti-magic-crafter theme indicates it was written by the Israelite culture.

Text In Akkadian

(starts at top right. Capital letters on tablet, verbs in italic bold)

Right Column (Sinai Text 3.1)

ETû DâṢu NaMû
ṢaMȗ Ḫu Bā’u LeTû

Middle Column (Sinai Text 3.2)

INu EŠû NâṢu
A Gȗ U Tu Gu is Linear A

Left Column (Sinai Text 3.3)

E ITtu ŠâMu
A Tu Lu Dȗ LâŠu Nu

In English

Right Column - agreement on the problem

The boundary is disrespecting the fertility-fluid-Revealer (Yahu)
Dehydration splits-off Hu's nest (life-network)

Middle Column - magic motion powers are the cause

The moon-eye (Su) is confusing the repulsions
That energizing is being done by magic

Left Column - life powers are the cause

Nothing is obligated by the omens
These magic-powers are lacking life-manifestation influences of the Revealer

The right column is blaming the life power's middle layer of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm (boundary) for a drought. The network is not allowing fertility fluids to flow through it. These fertility fluids are needed to trigger the life form manifestations by the Revealer (god Yahu). The drying-out (dehydration) of fertility fluids causes the network (nest) represented by the sun god Hu to split-off from the Revealer.

The middle column blames the magic crafters for making the flow of the fertility fluids chaotic. These fluids are pushed through the channels by repulsion.

The last column absolves the motion powers from the astrological night sky. The drought is not due to fate but due to magic crafters.

This is a Philistine ritual bowl from Qubur al-Walaydah which is identified by its text style and theme. This bowl dates to the early Iron Age 1A period (Lehmann and all, 2010) which puts it at 1160 BCE soon after the Philistines settled the coast of the Levant.

References

Lehmann, G. Rosen, S.A. Berlejung, A, Neumeier, B.A. Niemann, H.M. (2010) Excavations at Qubur al-Walaydah, 2007–2009. In Die Welt des Orients, 40. Jahrgang, S. 137–159, ISSN 0043-2547 Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht GmbH and Co. KG, Göttingen. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/4485617/Excavations_at_Qubur_al-Walaydah_2007-2009
Olmsted, D.D. (August 2020-2) Three Religiously Themed Philistine Texts in Alphabetic Akkadian (1160-960 BCE). Humanities Commons Permanent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/yz0s-rh08. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/43968796/Three_Religiously_Themed_Philistine_Texts_in_Alphabetic_Akkadian_1160_960_BCE

Qubur al-Walaydah Bowl From Philistine Coast Mentions Drought And Indicates Aegean Islanders Were Literate By This Time - 1160 BCE

(May 31, 2022) This text indicates the Aegean islanders were using writing for some time because the letter styles were getting more cursive for fast writing in ink.

Translation in Akkadian (Levant Text 4.1 )

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels. Verbs in italic bold)

ṢaMu Gâ’u Bu |
A Pu ABu |
ṢaDu ...

In English

Dehydration is breaking-out the nourishments (for the divine-powers) |
Those are being opened by the life priests (fathers) |
Feeding …

This bowl was found during a 1977 rescue dig by Rudolf Cohen at a small 2 hectare (80 meters in diameter) settlement at the head of Nahal Besor (Wadi Gaza) as shown in the image at the top of this page. This location suggests that it was originally a military outpost and trading center between the Philistines and the Israelites.

This bowl dates to the Iron Age 1A period (Lehmann and all, 2010) which ranges from 1190 - 1140 BCE. This was the period of the 50 year great drought which ended the Bronze Age. While the archaeological remains at the beginning of this period are qualitatively poor like this bowl by the end of this period prosperity had returned such that the Philistines were able to import overseas trade goods and create more colorful pottery (the bichrome ware).

This small settlement had a central building which was a fortress-like mud-brick building having outer walls of 1.5 to 2 meters and standing two stories tall. (Lehmann and all, 2010). The floors were cobble and earth. Yet sometime after the Sea People took over the area an earthquake occurred causing the walls to fall inward. This debris preserved the artifacts then in the building. Besides various types of bowls a flint scythe was found with a shiny gloss on the blade indicating it had been used in nearby agriculture production. This shows that agriculture was returning and explains the focus of the text. After the earthquake a poor squatter’s settlement was built on top of the ruins.

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