The Secrets of the Hebrew Alphabet

Introduction

• The Divine text of the Torah was revealed to Israel at Sinai over 3,000 years ago.
• Investigation into the origins, formation, and development of the Hebrew alphabet.

Historical Transmission of the Word

• The Word has been transcribed by scribes for generations.
• It was commanded to be on the hearts of the Israelites and taught to children.
• Moses was commanded to write these words as a covenant with Israel.

The Hebrew Script

• Jewish scribes (soferim) use a script called "Stam" for sacred texts.
• Questioning if Stam was the original script at Sinai.
• To understand, one must explore the history of the Hebrew alphabet.

Creation and Language

• Language is central to human uniqueness, seen as a separate creation.
• Aramaic translations link Genesis's "living being" to "speaking spirit."
• Writing systems allowed communication beyond time and space.

Early Writing Systems

• Originated in the mid-4th millennium BCE, independently in Mesopotamia (cuneiform) and Egypt (hieroglyphs).
• These systems evolved from pictographic to incorporate ideograms and logograms.

Complexity of Early Systems

• Hundreds of symbols made these systems complex.
• Literacy was limited to a small elite class.

The Innovation of the Alphabet

• The alphabet simplified writing, enabling broader literacy.
• Originated around 1905 with discoveries in Sinai Peninsula by Sir Flinders Petrie.

Proto-Sinaitic Script

• Discovered at Serabit el-Khadim by Hilda Petrie.
• The script was Semitic and a precursor to later Hebrew and Phoenician scripts.
• Characters inspired by Egyptian hieroglyphs but used differently.

Spread and Evolution

• Protosinaitic script spread to Canaan and evolved into Paleo-Hebrew and Phoenician scripts.
• The Phoenicians influenced the Greek alphabet, spreading to Western languages.

The Mystery of the Alphabet's Origin

• Origins and developers of the Proto-Sinaitic script remain debated.
• Jewish tradition offers insights into the script of the original Torah.

Jewish Tradition and Language

• Talmud suggests the Torah was originally in Hebrew script and language, later Assyrian script.
• Hebrew and Canaanite languages nearly identical.
• Hebrew seen as Mankind's original language.

The Hebrew Language as Sacred

• Hebrew seen as the language of creation.
• Words and letters in Hebrew carry divine essence and reality.
• Mystical interpretations link Hebrew letters to creation.

Connection to Biblical Figures

• Hebrew language linked to Abraham, who preserved and transmitted it.
• Abraham's connection to the formation of the first alphabet.

Conclusion

• The Hebrew alphabet is a profound spiritual and historical symbol, with its roots intertwined with biblical history and mystical traditions.