- By about 1200 B.C., the Phoenicians had developed symbols which in time became a real alphabet. The Phoenician alphabet consisted of twenty-two symbols, all consonants. Each one represented its own sound.
- The reason of its success was the maritime trading culture of Phoenician merchants, which spread the use of the alphabet into parts of North Africa and Europe .
- Its simplicity not only allowed it to be used in multiple languages, but it also allowed the common people to learn how to write.
- This not only allowed the recording of history through the ages—from Herodotus to Gibbons to the history books used in classrooms today—but also allowed the recording of science, plays, philosophy, literature and other knowledge contributed by the world's societies.
- The reason of its success was the maritime trading culture of Phoenician merchants, which spread the use of the alphabet into parts of North Africa and Europe .
- Its simplicity not only allowed it to be used in multiple languages, but it also allowed the common people to learn how to write.
- This not only allowed the recording of history through the ages—from Herodotus to Gibbons to the history books used in classrooms today—but also allowed the recording of science, plays, philosophy, literature and other knowledge contributed by the world's societies.
These inscriptions date from approximately 500 BC. They were found in a temple near ancient Caere in Italy, and describe a dedication made to the Phoenician goddess.