Hebrew

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The history of the Hebrew script is deeply intertwined with the development of the Hebrew language and the culture of the ancient Israelites. Its origins can be traced back to the Proto-Canaanite script around the 18th century BCE, a precursor to many Semitic alphabets, including Hebrew. The earliest examples of Hebrew writing are found on inscriptions that date back to the 10th century BCE, during the time of the united monarchy of Israel under kings like David and Solomon. These inscriptions were typically written in a version of the script known as Paleo-Hebrew, a variant of the Proto-Canaanite script that was used by the Israelites in their early history.

The Paleo-Hebrew script was used for religious texts, royal decrees, and other significant writings, and it had a distinctive, angular form. Over time, however, the script evolved due to influences from surrounding cultures. During the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE), the Israelites came into contact with the Aramaic script, which was the dominant writing system in the Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires. This interaction led to the adoption of the square Aramaic script, a more rounded and standardized form of writing, which gradually supplanted Paleo-Hebrew. This adaptation marked the beginning of the script that would become the modern Hebrew script.

The transition from Paleo-Hebrew to the square script was not abrupt. Early examples of the new script are seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls (c. 2nd century BCE to 1st century CE), where both the older Paleo-Hebrew and the newer square script appear in various texts. The square script became the standard for writing the Hebrew Bible, and its use spread as the Jews returned from the Babylonian exile and rebuilt Jerusalem. By the time of the Hasmonean dynasty in the 2nd century BCE, the square script had become firmly established, and it remained the dominant script for Hebrew writing in Jewish communities.