Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jack Kilmon" <jkilmon AT historian.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il>
To: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Cc: "Biblical Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>; "Ian Hutchesson"
<mc2499 AT mclink.it>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 2:38 AM
Subject: Re: Linguistic Origins of Hebrew: 1800 BCE?!


> Brian Tucker wrote:
>
> > Would you agree with the following: (please critique what is wrong with
this
> > succession scheme)
> >
> > 1. Serabit el Khadem, Sinai, Proto-Canaanite, 1500 BCE
> > 2. Proto-Canaanite, 13-12th century BCE
> > 3. Ahiram Sarcophagus, Phoenician, 1000 BCE
> > 4. Gezer Calender, Hebrew, end of 10th century BCE
> > 5. Mesha Stele, Hebrew script  mid. 9th century BCE
> > 6. Kilamu inscription, Phoenician, last third of 9th century BCE
> > 7. Siloam inscription, Hebrew, late 8th century BCE
> > 8. Hebrew seals, 7th century BCE
> > 9. Hebrew ostraca, Arad, early 6th century BCE
> > 10 Elephantine Papyrus, Aramaic, late 5th century BCE
> > 11 Leviticus Scroll, Qumran, Paleo-Hebrew, late 2nd century BCE
> > 12 Isaiah Scroll, I, Qumran, square Hebrew script, late 2nd century BCE
> >
> > This may point to 1500 as a starting point? Or not...
> >
> > --
>
> The alphabet was known and used at Ugarit, though in cuneiform. Wouldn't
you have to
> fit that in somewhere?

Certainly the Ras Shamra texts and the invention of North Semitic
consonantal system
would start out the list.  I would place this development between 1700 and
1400 BCE.

Jack