Alphabetic Origins

Christopher Rollstone, a well regarded professor of Old Testament at Emmanuel School of Religion, has published a comprehensive, though short, article on his current theory as to the origins of the alphabet.  There has been some argument for the origins being in the lower classes, that is miners, working in the Egyptian mines in the Sinai, but Rollstone defends the theory that the inventory were more likely upper class members of the Egyptian govenrmental apparatus there.  The pivotal discoveries in this area are inscriptions at Serabit el-Khadem and the slightly later ones at Wadi El Hol(see below), Worth a read on the ASOR blog.

Rollstone's drawing of part of the Wadi El Hol inscription

A