Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions May Push Alphabet Origins Back to Desert Mines

The origins of the alphabet may date back further than previously believed, with Proto-Sinaitic inscriptions indicating that Semitic miners began modifying Egyptian hieroglyphs during the Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BC). In 1905, Flinders and Hilda Petrie uncovered a script at Serabit el-Khadim. Alan Gardiner recognized the ox-head symbol as "ʾalp" in 1916. In 1948, William Foxwell Albright examined inscriptions, while Raphael Giveon rediscovered some in the 1960s and 70s. Stefan Jakob Wimmer documented a Proto-Sinaitic inscription at Timna in 2009. John and Deborah Darnell found inscriptions at Wadi el-Hol in 1993. Orly Goldwasser identified new inscriptions between 2006 and 2020. In 2016, Yosef Garfinkel excavated an ivory comb featuring an early phonetic sentence. Competing theories link the script to various traditions, and in 2022, Algeria's Epigraphy Conference associated Berber identity with Proto-Sinaitic. UNESCO called for collaborative research in 2024. Recent technologies have uncovered faded signs, with Hebrew University discovering signs near Timna in 2023. The debate surrounding the alphabet's origin continues, influencing national narratives in Egypt, Israel, and Algeria.