Monday, June 14, 2021

Adam’s Descendants Writing, Alphabets, & Languages

 I have reviewed many bible related ancient alphabets and Hieroglyphics which shows that text was written in various directions.  I also found some that wrote using the boustrophedon method.  This document is meant to reflect my findings on Hieroglyphics and Alphabets that Adam’s descendants used. I was able to find evidence that the ancient descendants of Adam did write ‘left to right’ and they used vowels that were assigned their own letter.  This page will also touches on the subject of the 72 languages created at the Tower of Babel.



Boustrophedon

Latin, Hungarian Rovas, Greek Linear B, and Sabaeans sometimes used a writing system written in horizontal lines running alternatively from right to left then left to right. This is called Boustrophedon, which comes from the Greek βους (bous) "ox" + στρεφειν (strefein) "to turn", because it resembles the path an ox makes when plowing field, turning at the end of each row to return in the opposite direction.

 

Here is an example of Boustrophedon, ‘ox turning’: 


For more information:  https://www.britannica.com/art/boustrophedon

Left to Right – Writing

Reflected in the table below, are ancient biblical related languages that wrote ‘left to right’.  I could not find anywhere that Aramaic or Phoenician was ever ‘left to right’.  I did include them in the alphabet examples since theirs’s was almost identical to Hebrew and/or Greek.  The dates used in the table came from the sites I referenced.

Year

Name

Tribe

Text Name

Text

Left to Right

Text

Right to Left

Top to

Bottom

Hieroglyphic

(sacred inscriptions)[1]

3200 BC

Mizraim

(Gen 10:6)

Egyptian[2]

 

 

 

 

Yes, in all directions

2686 BC

Mizraim

(Gen 10:6)

Egyptian[3]

Old Hieratic[4]

Yes, religious items[5]

Yes[6]

Yes

 

2500 BC

Peleg

(Gen 10:25)

Pelasgian (Proto-Greek)[7],[8]

Greek Linear A[9],[10],[11]

Yes

Yes

 

Yes[12]

2250 BC

Elam

(Gen 5:32)

Elamite[13]

 

Yes

 

Yes

 

1500 BC

Wales, UK Area

Cimmerians[14]

Coelbren

Yes

 

 

 

1500 BC

Mycenaean Greeks

Judah-Zarah

Greek Linear B[15]

Yes

Yes

 

Yes, logograms

968 BC

Hebrew

(Gen 10:24)

Hebrews[16]

Ancient or Paleo

Yes

 

 

Yes

600 BC

Judah, Benjamin (Rom 11:1)

Rome

Latin[17]

Yes

Yes

 

 

500 BC

NE Iberian

(includes France & Celtiberian)

Heber

(Gen 10:24)

NE Iberian Script[18]

Yes

 

 

Yes,

Syllabic signs

400BC

Greek

(Septuagint & NT)

 

Koine[19]

Yes

 

 

 

400 AD

E. Germanic

Visigoths[20]

Gothic[21]

Yes

 

 

 


The Oldest Hebrew Script

 

Pictured below is possibly the oldest Paleo-Hebrew script found.  The text was written ‘left to right’.



From http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-artifacts/inscriptions/the-oldest-hebrew-script-and-language/

Also see https://www.baslibrary.org/biblical-archaeology-review/38/3/2

Proto- Canaanite Writing

 

A quote from the site below regarding proto-Canaanite writing:

 

“Some texts were written from left to right and others, from right to left. However, this writing was no doubt the pioneer of alphabetical writing. It was used by our forefathers and is the base of a more developed system of writing: the Hebrew alphabet.” Quoted from https://web.archive.org/web/20190326235342/http://www.hebrewtoday.com:80/content/history-alphabet

1005 BC - During King David Time

 

A quote from the site below about writing used during King David’s lifetime:

 

“Several ancient languages used similar alphabets. The letter shapes in the inscription suggest they were written left-to-right. Standard Hebrew—including that used on the ostracon found at Khirbet Qeiyafa—is written right-to-left. However, at this time in history, the ancient Hebrew, Egyptian, and Canaanite languages could all be written in either direction.” Quoted From https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/shard-shows-written-language-at-jerusalem-when-david-ruled/

968 BC - During King Solomon’s Time

Below is the Los Lunas stone that shows Paleo Hebrew writing that was written right to left’.  This stone writing is thought to have been done during King Solomon’s reign.

From https://godssecret.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/oldest-known-10-commandments-is-in-america-in-ancient-hebrew-script-from-time-of-king-solomon/


 


Dead Sea Scrolls

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls were written ‘left to right’ and below is a quote regarding this:

 

“Though Hebrew is read from right to left, the individual letters are written from left to right, since the pen must be pulled over the surface, never pushed (18). Today, Jewish scribes touch the letter with the pen immediately after completing a stroke, depositing a small amount of surplus ink on the wide stroke so that when it dries it will be even blacker and form a raised surface. This is a risky process, because any smudges could render the whole page unusable. This process also contributes to the problem of flaking.” From  http://cpart.mi.byu.edu/home/dss/about-dss/

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls are always shown upside down on the internet so that they appear to be written from ‘right to left’; however, they are really written from ‘left to right’.  Below is an example that I turned right side up:


Notice the text is now sitting on the lines.  I can now make out several of the letters.

 

Below is how it was reflected on the internet:


Upside down makes it hard to interrupt.

From: http://www.facsimilefinder.com/facsimiles/dead-sea-scrolls-facsimile#&gid=1&pid=2

Another Source

 

Willie Martin’s site reflects the Israelites did write ‘left to right’:

 

“A common objection raised against the Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, Scandinavian, Celtic being Israel is that they cannot possibly be Israelites because the Israelites always wrote from right to left, whereas we write from left to right. Thus Mr. George Goodman, in his pamphlet against Anglo-Israel Identity states, It is impossible to conceive of a nation changing its method of writing in so radical a manner.” It is an acknowledged fact that the early Greeks wrote from right to left, but many years later they wrote from left to right as they still do today. At one period between the use of these two methods of writing they wrote alternately from right to left and left to right. This form of writing was known as “Boustrophedon.”” Quote from https://israelect.com/reference/WillieMartin/Writting%20[A].htm

Ancient Alphabets

The next couple of pages contain alphabet examples of early bible related languages.  This is to show how the alphabet progressed through time. Many shared the same alphabet.

 

·         LTR means ‘left to right’

·         RTL means ‘right to left’

 

Notice the ancient Hebrews and Israelites had letters that represented vowels. They wrote both Right to Left (RTL) and Left to Right (LTR).






 


 





 




Tower of Babel

 

The bible tells us that all of Adam’s descendants were speaking one language up until the Tower of Babel incident.  After which they were all given new languages:

 

“And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” ESV Gen 11:6-9

 

The book AURAICEPT NA N-ECES, The Scholars’ Primer, published in 1917 by George Calder states there were 72 languages created by 72 counselors who were at the Tower of Babel.   These 72 languages were created for the descendants of Adam use.




Here is a link to this book https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YLFnjdLUTTQ7JAxPnsIEWePmeTSXxV68/view?usp=sharing

 

According to the book of Jubilees the original language of Adam and his descendants became unknown after the Tower of Babel overthrow.  Jubilees chapter 12 explains this fact and the fact that our Father in Heaven gave Abraham back the original language of Adam which they are calling Hebrew.  Hebrew was the language of Eber who was a descendant of Noah and father of Peleg.  According to verses 16 our Father in Heaven gave Abraham back the original language of Adam on the night on the new moon [sic first day of the month] of the seventh month which was the first day of fall and the Feast of Trumpets.

 

“And the Lord God said: 'Open his mouth and his ears, that he may hear and speak with his mouth, with the language which has been revealed'; for it had ceased from the mouths of all the children of men from the day of the overthrow (of Babel). And I opened his mouth, and his ears and his lips, and I began to speak with him in Hebrew in the tongue of the creation. And he took the books of his fathers, and these were written in Hebrew, and he transcribed them, and he began from henceforth to study them, and I made known to him that which he could not (understand), and he studied them during the six rainy months.” Jubilees 12:25-27

 

Here is a link to Jubilees chapter 12:  http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/jubilees/12.htm

Here is a link showing Eber and Peleg’s genealogy:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VMMHmTwONYwSPT6x68i30kK2pV_T1AGv/view?usp=sharing

 

Therefore, this means that the list of the 72 languages shown above would not include the original language of Adam called Hebrew.

Text Box: Block Hebrew is Not Israelite – It is Arabic
The original block Hebrew did not have vowels. It looks nothing like the ancient paleo Hebrew.  They only wrote right to left.
 
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm 
The Block Hebrew uses vowel point instead of letters.  The original block Hebrew is similar to the Arabic alphabet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet 
Block Hebrew is not a real Hebrew or Israelite alphabet!
Text Box: Block Hebrew is Not Israelite – It is Arabic
The original block Hebrew did not have vowels. It looks nothing like the ancient paleo Hebrew.  They only wrote right to left.
 
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm 
The Block Hebrew uses vowel point instead of letters.  The original block Hebrew is similar to the Arabic alphabet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet 
Block Hebrew is not a real Hebrew or Israelite alphabet!
Text Box: Block Hebrew is Not Israelite – It is Arabic
The original block Hebrew did not have vowels. It looks nothing like the ancient paleo Hebrew.  They only wrote right to left.
 
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm 
The Block Hebrew uses vowel point instead of letters.  The original block Hebrew is similar to the Arabic alphabet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet 
Block Hebrew is not a real Hebrew or Israelite alphabet!
Text Box: Block Hebrew is Not Israelite – It is Arabic
The original block Hebrew did not have vowels. It looks nothing like the ancient paleo Hebrew.  They only wrote right to left.
 
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/hebrew.htm 
The Block Hebrew uses vowel point instead of letters.  The original block Hebrew is similar to the Arabic alphabet.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_alphabet 
Block Hebrew is not a real Hebrew or Israelite alphabet!
Conclusion

 

The study of writing and alphabets is important so that a better understanding of our history is can be learned. I have put very little information here in compare to what can be learned; there is a lot more to explore.  It appears that Adam’s descendants lost their original language at the tower of Babel and we cannot be for sure what the original language was now. More study is required.

 

 


[1]Omnilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/egyptian.htm > Hieroglyphic means sacred inscriptions

[2] Omnilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/egyptian.htm > Egyptian writing

[3] Omnilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/egyptian.htm > Egyptian writing

[4] Ominilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/egyptian.htm > Egyptian writing, all directions

[5]  William Matthew Flinders Petrie, Online < Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob > Google Books, p. 12

[6] Omnilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/egyptian_hieratic.htm > Egyptian writing

[7] Wikipedia, online < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_the_Greeks > Proto-Greeks

[9]Linear A Text, online <  http://people.ku.edu/~jyounger/LinearA/#8 > About Linear A

[10] Omnilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/lineara.htm > About Linear A, left to right

[11] Wikipedia, online < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_A > About Linear A, left to right

[12] Wikipedia, online < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cretan_hieroglyphs > Early Greek, Linear A sister

[13] Omnilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/elamite.htm#proto > Elamite writing

[14] Sovern Wales, Coelbren Alphabet, Online, < https://sovereignwales.com/tag/coelbren-alphabet/ > History

[15] Omnilglot, online < http://www.omniglot.com/writing/linearb.htm > Greek Linear B language

[17] Omnilglot, online < https://www.omniglot.com/writing/latin.htm#archaic > Latin writing, left to right & right to left

[18] Ancients Scripts Online < http://www.ancientscripts.com/iberian.html > NE Iberian Script left to right

[19]Encyclopedia Britannica,  Online < https://www.britannica.com/topic/Koine-Greek-language > Koine Greek

[21] Wikipedia, online < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_alphabet > Gothic left to right