Canaanite alphabet

The Canaanite alphabet, originating around the end of the 2nd millennium BCE in the region of Syria and Palestine, is a crucial development in the history of writing. It is considered the main branch of the early Semitic alphabet and is subdivided into Early Hebrew and Phoenician varieties.1

The Early Hebrew alphabet, which began to take shape by the 11th century BCE, is closely related to the Moabite alphabet, with the Meshaʿ Stone inscription being a key example from the 9th century BCE. The Phoenician alphabet, with its earliest known inscription dating to the 11th century BCE, became the direct ancestor of all Western alphabets after its adoption and adaptation by the Greeks. The Canaanites were among the first known peoples to use an alphabet, with a script found at Lachish recognized as the parent of Phoenician and subsequently Greek and Latin alphabets.123