The Paeleo-Hebrew or Canaanite Script

𐤀 𐤁 𐤂 𐤃 𐤄 𐤅 𐤆 𐤇 𐤈 𐤉 𐤊
𐤋 𐤌 𐤍 𐤎 𐤏 𐤐 𐤑 𐤒 𐤓 𐤔 𐤕

The Paleo-Hebrew Script, also known as the Canaanite Script, was in use throughout the Levant during the Iron Age (c. 1200-500 BCE). It is mother of the Greek and Roman alphabets. For example, the letter aleph 𐤀, the first letter on the right above, rotated, became Greek and Roman A, while the fourth letter, daleth 𐤃, became Greek Δ and Roman D.

The greeting on the previous page reads in the more familiar Aramaic Square Script, ב ר ו כ י ם ה ב א י ם, "Blessed are those who come!", in other words, "Welcome!".

Phoenician, Hebrew, Edomite, Moabite, and Ammonite are sister dialects of Canaanite. Canaanite and Aramaic, the ancient language of Damascus, are among the earliest known indigeneous languages of the Levant. Only Hebrew and Aramaic survive. Like biblical and rabbinic Hebrew, Aramaic survives as a liturgical language of both Jews and eastern Christians. Modern dialects of Aramaic are still spoken in a few villages in Syria.