Alphabet Key To History Of Mankind

SR No.: 007273
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: David Diringer
Publisher: Hutchinsons Scientific and Technical Publications
Publication Year: 1953
Total Pages: 609
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 29 MB

Page 202

ORIGIN OF ALPHABET
by Gardiner and Sethe, in 1916; notwithstanding (3) that many eminent scholars have dealt with this problem and with that of the decipherment of the early Sinaitic inscriptions, and (4) that the majority of the scholars hold the opinion that these inscriptions are couched in a Semitic language and in a script connected on the one hand with the Egyptian hieroglyphics and on the other hand with the North Semitic alphabet, which are both known; (5) in spite, finally, of the discovery (see below) of, and research on the early Canaanite inscriptions and the "missing-link" theory; we
Frypan Averag 0
0-09 18500
Sinar
४
30
eger.
THE 03+
Phonetic Value 9
Letters
0044"
Youch-North MRANA! Semitic Semitic Sem Heba
* 10x 18
house la| و | In
80 DAVE
1 IY
XXX
2774 6
h
hook 1 nail
17 hand 1. bent
hand
by water 10
A fish
I make |
O
10 17 mouth
לו
eye y
19 head IW tooth xmark in
x
N.Sem I
Letters
DA2+ B19+
3
O
A
א אלף אם בבית CO B hous
68194111+
8nose-ring 3 fish 37
HH
goad
sh
W 4
בים water
shake Und
(Cowley) 17(Sayce)
ע עין ovos
ראש had
TF(Cowley)
(Sayce)
ל
bow nop P
tooth cross
(Gardiner)
6 5
determinative of goddess
201
Fig 102
1, Gardiner's Sinaitic theory 2, Cowley's decipherment of the Sinaitic script
3, Gardiner's identification of Ba'alat
4. Ugarit signs resembling North Semitic letters
are still in almost the same situation to-day in regard to the decipherment of the early Sinaitic writing, as that so aptly indicated by the creator of the Sinaitic theory thirty years ago in the following statement: "Unfortunately, however, I have no suggestions for the reading of any other word, so that the decipherment of the name Ba'alat must remain, so far as I am concerned, an unverifiable hypothesis" (Gardiner, in "JOURN. OF EGYPT. ARCHEOL.", III/I, January, 1916, p. 15). How different has been the history of the decipherment of the Ugarit alphabet (see below)! The reason for this difference lies mainly in the fact that the early Sinaitic inscriptions do not provide sufficient material for their decipherment any