Which Afro-Asiatic languages have written records from thousands of years ago?

Several Afro-Asiatic languages possess written records dating back thousands of years, as speakers of these languages were among the first in human history to develop writing systems.1

Semitic Languages

Written documentation for the Semitic family reaches back to the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE. Key examples include:2
* Akkadian: Records date to the mid-3rd millennium BCE. It became the primary language of Mesopotamia by the early 2nd millennium BCE, utilizing the cuneiform script.23
* Eblaite: Archives discovered in the ancient city of Ebla date to the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE.21
* Ugaritic: This language left numerous records during its peak between the 15th and 13th centuries BCE.2

Egyptian Language

The Egyptian language has a documented history spanning several millennia, divided into periods based on ancient texts:4
* Old Egyptian: Records date from before 3000 BCE to approximately 2200 BCE.4
* Middle Egyptian: Spanned roughly 2200 BCE to 1600 BCE.4

These languages utilized complex writing systems, such as hieroglyphic and hieratic scripts, to preserve their literature and history.4