The Earliest Form Of Hebrew Writing

[Sefardic Panther]

Larry David look-alike the Naked Archaeologist looks at the earliest form of Hebrew writing (Proto-Sinaitic) in a cave in the Sinai Peninsula –












The earliest form of Hebrew writing was pictographic, i.e. the Alef (ox) was a picture of an ox. The Bet (house) was a picture of a house. The Gimel (camel) was a picture of a camel etc.

We must study all archaeological examples of this primeval Hebrew writing and use it to further understand the holy language.

For example the word “and” in Hebrew is the letter Waw. Waw was a picture of a peg and just like a peg the word “and” is used to join things together.

[muman613]

The current hebrew characters already have the pictographic meaning and the gematria meaning. They were kept when the font we use today was adopted.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

The current hebrew characters already have the pictographic meaning and the gematria meaning. They were kept when the font we use today was adopted.

What do you mean?

[muman613]

The current hebrew characters already have the pictographic meaning and the gematria meaning. They were kept when the font we use today was adopted.

What do you mean?

I believe I have seen the current hebrew font has the same pictographic meanings and the same numerical meaning.

http://www.jewfaq.org/alephbet.htm

K'tav Ivri: Ancient Hebrew Script

As mentioned above, the Hebrew alphabet that we use today is referred to as Assyrian Script (in Hebrew, K'tav Ashuri). But there was once another way of writing the alphabet that the rabbis called K'tav Ivri, which means "Hebrew Script." Many examples of this ancient way of writing the Hebrew alphabet has been found by archaeologists: on coins and other artifacts. It is quite similar to the ancient Phoenician writing. An example of this script is seen at Scripts of the Hebrew Language, side-by-side with other styles of Hebrew writing that were discussed above.

The rabbis of the Talmudic period were well aware of this ancient K'tav Ivri, and they raised the question whether the Torah was originally given in K'tav Ivri or K'tav Ashuri. A variety of opinions are expressed in the Talmud at Sanhedrin 21c-22a: one opinion states that the Torah was originally given in K'tav Ivri, but was changed to K'tav Ashuri in the days of Ezra, after the Babylonian Exile (the Babylonians, and consequently the Jews in exile, used K'tav Ashuri). Another opinion says that the Torah was written in K'tav Ashuri, but that holy script was denied the people when they sinned and was replaced with another one; when the people repented, the K'tav Ashuri was restored. A third opinion states that the Torah was always in K'tav Ashuri.

The general consensus is that the Torah was given in K'tav Ashuri, because the Talmud makes other references that don't make sense in K'tav Ivri. The Talmud talks about final forms of letters in the original Torah, but K'tav Ivri doesn't have final forms. It talks about the center of the Samekh and the Final Mem miraculously floating when the Ten Commandments were carved all the way through the tablets, but there is no Final Mem in K'tav Ivri, and neither Samekh nor Mem would have a floating center in K'tav Ivri as they do in K'tav Ashuri.

All authorities maintain that today, the only holy script is K'tav Ashuri. Any torah scrolls, tefillin or mezuzot must be written in K'tav Ashuri, and specifically in a style of K'tav Ashuri known as STA"M, discussed above.

K'tav Ivri is understood to be in the nature of a font, like Rashi script, rather than in the nature of a different alphabet, like Greek, Cyrillic or Roman. The names of the letters, the order of the letters, and the numerical value of the letters are apparently the same in both K'tav Ashuri and K'tav Ivri; thus, any religious significance that would be found in the numerical value of words or the sequence of the alphabet is the same in both scripts.

http://www.mezuzah.net/scripts.html

http://www.inner.org/hebleter/default.htm

[Sefardic Panther]

This ivory pomegranate was used in the first Beith HaMiqdash. It has a Ktav Ivri inscription.




The Habani wrap Tefilin Shel Yad in the shape of a Ktav Ivri Shin, Dalet and Yod -

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

They found something from the first Beth Hamiqdash?   I had no idea.  Where/how did they find that?

[Sefardic Panther]

It was on display at the Israel Museum in Yerushalayim and it was claimed to be the head of a wand used by the Kohen Gadol in the first Beith HaMiqdash. A few years ago it was called a forgery and removed. But they may have just done that to please the muslims.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Wow.  Interesting.   Who called it a forgery?   

[muman613]

http://www.aishdas.org/toratemet/en_pamphlet9.html

The Script of the Torah

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 21b-22a tells us what at first seems very surprising. However, after a careful reading and placing the events in an historical context they do not seem surprising at all.

    Mar Zutra and some say Mar Ukva said: Originally the Torah was given to Israel in Ktav Ivri (paleo-Hebrew characters) and in the holy lanugage. It was given again to them in Ezra's time in Ktav Ashurit (Assyrian characters) and in Aramaic. Israel selected for themselves Ktav Ashurit and the Hebrew language... It was taught: Rebbe said: Torah was originally given to Israel in Ktav Ashurit. When they sinned it was changed to Roetz (Ktav Ivri). When they repented, Ktav Ashurit was reintroduced... R' Shimon ben Elazar said in the name of R' Eliezer ben Parta, who said in the name of R' Elazar Hamodai: This writing was never changed...

We see three opinions regarding the script of the Torah. According to Mar Zutra, the Torah was given to Israel in Ktav Ivri and in Hebrew but Ezra changed it to Ktav Ashurit and Aramaic. The people, however, only accepted Ktav Ashurit and Hebrew. According to Rebbe, the Torah was given in Ktav Ashurit but was changed to Ktav Ivri due to the people's sins. According to R' Elazar Hamodai, the script of the Torah never changed.

This passage raises a number of questions. How could Ezra change the script of the Torah? How could he change the Torah's language from Hebrew to Aramaic? Furthermore, if he found the authority to do so, how could the people determine an outcome against his decision? According to Rebbe, why would the script of the Torah change based on whether Israel sinned or repented?

R' Reuven Margoliyot (Margoliyot Hayam, Sanhedrin ad loc,; Hamikra Vehamesora, ch. 9) answers all of these questions with the following historical reflection. It is known that some ancient cultures had one script for sacred purposes and one for everyday use. For example, the Indians only used Sanskrit for religious purposes and not for the mundane. The talmudic sages mentioned in the above passage were debating the extent of this practice of having a script for only holy purposes in Israel. However, according to everyone this was the practice, similar to the talmudic dictum, "Something that is used for the sacred may not be used for the profane" (Avodah Zara 52a).

According to Mar Zutra, the first tablets of the ten commandments were written in Ktav Ashurit (see Responsa Radbaz 3:442) but once Israel sinned with the Golden Calf they were deemed unworthy. They could not be trusted to use Ktav Ashurit for purely sacred matters. Therefore, the second tablets and the Torah scrolls written for general use were in Ktav Ivri. This can, perhaps, be seen from the fact that in Megillah 2b Rav Chisda says that the mem and samech in the tablets were miraculously hanging in the air. This can only happen in Ktav Ashurit and not in Ktav Ivri. However, in the Gemara in Sanhedrin quoted above, Rav Chisda seems to agree with Mar Zutra that the Torah was originally given to Israel in Ktav Ivri. Therefore, it seem that Rav Chisda would have to say that the tablets were in Ktav Ashurit and the Torah in Ktav Ivri. Or, as the Radbaz suggested, everything was originally in Ktav Ashurit but after the sin of the Golden Calf the second tablets and the Torah were in Ktav Ivri. But not all of the Torahs were in Ktav Ivri.

That the original tablets were given in Ktav Ashurit but not the second tablets can be seen hinted in a number of sources. For example, the Gemara in Pesachim 87b says "the tablets broke and the letters floated in the air". Exactly what it means that the letters floated in the air is unclear. However, on that same page the Gemara says, "Three things returned to their origin... the script of the tablets". That sounds like Ktav Ashurit being replaced with Ktav Ivri. Similarly, the Mechilta on Exodus 17:8 says that after the tablets were broken "the heavenly writing returned to its place". We perhaps also see evidence of the disappearance of Ktav Ashurit much later in history. The Tanchuma on Vayeshev 2 says, "What did they do [in response to the Samaritans]? Ezra, Zerubavel, and Yehoshua gathered the community to the sanctuary... and excommunicated the Samaritans with the sacred name of G-d, with the script that was written on the tablets, with the decree of the heavenly court,..." The use of the "script that was written on the tablets" is important for two reasons. First, it seems that this script was unique. Furthermore, we know from the Gemara in Sanhedrin and from other historical sources that the Samaritans used Ktav Ivri. The contrast between the Samaritans and the "script that was written on the tablets" implies that this script was not Ktav Ivri. We thus see that there is ample material supporting the Radbaz's claim that the first tablets were in Ktav Ashurit.

Recall that Mar Zutra said that the Torah was given to Israel in Ktav Ivri. The Ritva deduced from this that the special Torah of Moshe that was kept in the ark and later in the Temple was in Ktav Ashurit. Only Torahs for the people were in Ktav Ivri. The ability to read Ktav Ashurit was maintained by priests and scribes, which is why King Yoshiyahu needed a priest to read to him from Moshe's Torah when it was found in the Temple (2 Kings 22:8-11; Abarbanel). The king had never before seen Ktav Ashurit and his reaction to seeing it fo the first time, and in the Torah scroll that Moshe himself had written, demonstrates the deep religious emotion it evoked. We perhaps find hints of this in Isaiah 8:1 where the prophet is commanded, "Take a large tablet and write on it in common characters". This is must have been referring to Ktav Ivri that was used by the common people (see Rashi). Ktav Ivri had gained such prominence that the existence of ending letters (ךףץןם) was forgotten by the masses and had to be restored (Megillah 2b-3a).

However, Ktav Ashurit was still studied by the priests and scribes, of which Ezra was both. When he saw that Ktav Ashurit was so forgotten that, when it was written on the wall of King Belshatzar of Babylonia, only Daniel could read it (Daniel 5) he realized that it must be reintroduced to the people. Yet, he still had the dilemma that people would then be writing Hebrew in the holy Ktav Ashurit for improper purposes. His solution was to translate the Torah into Aramaic and introduce the Aramaic Torah in Ktav Ashurit into common usage. That way people would become familiar with Ktav Ashurit without using it in their daily Hebrew writing. This is what is meant in Nehemiah 8:8, "So they read from the book, from the law of G-d, with interpretation." It was interpreted by translation into Aramaic (Megillah 3a). (This translation was later recreated by Onkelos). However, the people had lived their whole lives with a Hebrew Torah and were not ready to change the language of their holiest of books. Therefore, they decided to retain a Hebrew Torah in Ktav Ashurit but conduct their daily business in Aramaic. This would produce the results that Ezra desired because Ktav Ashurit in Hebrew would not be a part of the daily routine.

Rebbe agreed with this historical reconstruction but attributed the original transition from Ktav Ashurit to Ktav Ivri to the idolatrous era of the First Temple rather than the episode of the Golden Calf. According to Rebbe, it is even more plausible that the scholars always retained knowledge of Ktav Ashurit. It was only the masses who were busy with their daily lives and/or idolatrous ways who forgot Ktav Ashurit when the Torahs were changed to Ktav Ivri.

R' Elazar Hamodai does not necessarily disagree that people forgot Ktav Ashurit. He only argued that the Torahs were never changed from one script into another. However, he agreed that people had forgotten Ktav Ashurit, the script used only for sacred purposes, and that Ezra had to re-educate the masses in the holy script (see Teshuvot HaRambam, ed. Blau no. 268).

As a final note, the Gemara in Sanhedrin 22a offers two opinions why the script is called Ktav Ashurit. One is that the Jews brought it back to Israel with them from Babylonia/Assyria (Ashur). The other is that it is a beautiful script (me'usheret). Since the literal translation of Ktav Ashurit is "Assyrian script", we must ask why the Gemara even asks such a basic question. It is called Ktav Ashurit because the Assyrians used it. Furthermore, the view that it is called Ktav Ashurit because the script is beautiful strains credibility. We already know that it is called Ktav Ashurit because it is an Assyrian script, as the words simply mean.

[Sefardic Panther]

The hilonim in charge of the museum called the inscription on the pomegranite a forgery.

[muman613]

The hilonim in charge of the museum called the inscription on the pomegranite a forgery.

So what? Who cares what chilonim say... It is definately possible that during the period of the 1st Beit HaMikdash there may have been vessels which contained Ktav Ivrit script... I am looking for a reference to this particular artifact.

[muman613]

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Siloam_inscription

Here is an artifact from the 1st temple period in Ktav Ivri:

The inscription records the construction of the tunnel in the 8th century BCE. It is among the oldest extant records of its kind written in Hebrew using the Paleo-Hebrew alphabet. Traditionally identified as a "commemorative inscription", it has also been classified as a votive offering inscription.

[Sefardic Panther]

I want to make it clear that I am certainly not saying we should change all writing back to Ktav Ivri or Proto-Sinaitic. Since Ezra changed the font of the Torah to Ktav Ashurith (literally “Aramaic writing” the Hebrew font everyone today is familiar with) the halakha is that if a Torah is not written in Ktav Ashurith it is not Kosher. We need to study examples of early Hebrew writing to understand the origin and meaning of the language. And to make it clear that there is a big distinction between the Hebrew alphabet (Ktav Ivri or Proto-Sinaitic) and the Aramaic alphabet (the alphabet that all Hebrew must now be written with).

That may seem rather ironic that all Hebrew must be written with the Aramaic alphabet. I think the significance of Aramaic is that it is a direct channel to Hashem. When anyone prays in Hebrew the Malakim say to Hashem why are you listening to that rasha. But they cannot understand prayers said in Aramaic. That is way the Qadish must be said in Aramaic. The “angels” in Judaism are nothing like the angels in christianity/western culture. They are not children sitting on clouds playing harps they are terrifying and mischievous and they think all humans are lower than drek.

[muman613]

I would not make such a statement concerning ALL the Melachim... While it is true that they argued against Hashem making Humanity in the first place, and they argued against giving the Jews the Torah at Sinai, but they are not All terrifying, nor are they all mischevious.

I can state for you a couple of good examples.... How are the three melachim which visited Abraham all terrifying and mischevious? Each one was on a separate mission, one to inform Abraham and Sarah they would have Yitzak, one to destroy Sdom, and one to heal Abraham. In this case two of the three were on missions of goodness (if not all three, because destruction of Sdom was for the good).

Also on Shabbat we have the custom of singing Shalom Alechem on Friday night. This song discusses the angels which we create on Shabbat, if we create a good Shabbat we create good Melachim, if we create a bad Shabbat a bad Malach is created. So this reveals that we believe that there are good angels.

References:

http://www.torah.org/advanced/sfas-emes/5765/vayishlach.html

   

Parashat Vayishlach
By Dr. Nosson Chayim Leff
Sfas Emes, Zechuso Tagein Aleinu, Parashat Vayishlach, 5631/37/38


...

But there is a difference between Shabbos and yemei hama'aseh. During the week, we encounter HaShem in the form of forces of nature -- i.e., mal'achim ('angels'; messengers; agents). By contrast, on Shabbos -which HaShem blessed -- all creation is elevated, enabling us to have a closer relationship with Him. (Note an implication that follows from the Sfas Emes's formulation. To facilitate the closer relationship with HaShem on Shabbos, we abstain from contact with 'mal'achim' on that special day. Hence, to avoid engagement with the world of action (asiya), on Shabbos, doing melacha is prohibited.)

Understanding the connection between Shabbos and the weekdays is crucial. To aid our understanding on this subject, we go to the ma'amar of another year (5638), where the Sfas Emes sums up on the connection. During the week, we deal with Teva (i.e., the mal'achim, the forces of Nature). Doing mitzvos in the world of Nature requires action; in particular, actions in accordance with HaShem's will. Hence, by doing mitzvos, we subordinate the world of Nature and human actions to HaShem. Chazal express this mastery over the mal'achim by saying, in figurative term, that by performing mitzvos, we create 'mal'achim tovim' ('good angels').

More generally, by going about our daily lives in full recognition that Nature is HaShem's handiwork (and not vice versa), we can achieve what the Torah (Shemos, 20, 9) has in mind (in the Sfas Emes's non-pshat reading): " Six days shall you work, ve'asisa kol me'lachte'cha". That is, on the six workdays, we can "create all of our angels". Then, having achieved this "Tikun Ha'ma'asim", we can come close to HaShem on Shabbos. We return now to the text of the Sfas Emes in the year 5637.

[Sefardic Panther]

Yes the 3 Malakim who visited Avraham were on a mission from Hashem as you said. When ever Hashem orders the Malakim to carry out a mission they will do it happily. But the Malakim themselves still do not care much for humans.

The Malakim we create when we do Mitzvos are a completely different type of Malakim. I was talking about the heavenly hosts in Hashem’s throne room - the Keruvim, the Serafim, the Hashmalim etc.   

I would love to know is there anyone on this forum that can speak Aramaic fluently from studying the Gemara.

[muman613]

I also understand that the Yekum Purkan in our davening is also said in Aramaic. I am not very clear about aramaic but it can be pronounced with hebrew letters and some of the roots of the words are the same.

http://www.torah.org/advanced/mishna-berura/S101.html?print=1

101:4. One can pray (13) in any language (14) that he wishes; and this is in a congregation, but when praying alone one should (15) only pray in the Holy Tongue. And there are those who say that this is when he is asking for his needs, as when he is praying (16) on behalf of a sick person or due to some trouble that he has related to his household, but when praying the prayer (17) established for the congregation [of Israel - i.e. everyone], even one praying alone can say it in any language. And there are those who say (18) that even one praying alone when asking for his needs can nonetheless pray in any language that he desires except for (19) Aramaic.

MB 13: In any language - The best way to perform the Mitzvah is only in the Holy Tongue. See in 62:2 and in the Mishna Brura there, what we wrote in the name of the later authorities concerning this. Also see in the Tshuvos of the Chasam Sofer on Orach Chayim Siman 84 and 86, who wrote at length with several proofs that the permission to pray in any language is only occasionally, but to establish it as a permanent thing and to set up a prayer leader [to pray in another language] and to cause the Holy Tongue to be forgotten completely - this is totally impossible, see there. And further, because of many, many strong reasons all the great minds of the era wrote at length in the book Divrei HaBris, and they all agreed that to do so is completely forbidden. And this is contrary to the new groups that have spread out from outside the country, and who have translated the entire prayer service into the language of the gentiles. And "one transgression leads to another," for they have skipped the blessing of the ingathering of the exiles* and the blessing of "And to Jerusalem, your Holy City," and just as they wish to cause the remembrance of Jerusalem to be forgotten, so too do they want the Holy Tongue to be forgotten from Israel, lest they be redeemed in merit of the fact that "they did not change their language.**" The Holy One, Blessed be He, should protect us from heretical beliefs such as these. And see in the Biur Halacha. [* The Mishna Brura is speaking about the early development of liberal streams in Judaism. Recently many of these trends have reversed themselves. ** The Jews in Egypt had not yet been given the Torah - so how did they maintain an independent community, free of assimilation? The Midrash says: because they did not change their language, dress or names. -- YM]

MB 14: That he wishes - This is if he understands that language clearly; but with the Holy Tongue one can fulfill his obligation even if he does not understand the language.

MB 15: Only pray in the Holy Tongue - Because the serving Angels are not bound to Aramaic and so too other languages, but only the Holy Tongue. However a congregation does not need someone to plead its case, because the Holy One, Blessed be He receives their prayer himself.

MB 16: On behalf of a sick person - Meaning to say, when not in front of the sick person; but in front of him it is permitted in any language, because the Holy One, Blessed be He is found there. [The Divine Presence dwells upon the bed of a sick person.]

MB 17: Established - Because since the prayer is established for the congregation, the Holy One, Blessed be He turns towards it Himself, even at a time when the congregation is not praying.

MB 18: That even one praying alone - Because their opinion is that the Angels recognize any language, but they are not bound to Aramaic because it is disgusting in their eyes. And for this reason it is permitted for women to pray in other languages. [In his time, many women did not know the Holy Tongue even if their husbands did. Today this is no longer true. There is considerable discussion about what is particularly negative about Aramaic over other foreign languages. -- YM]

MB 19: Aramaic - In a congregation it is permitted even in Aramaic. Thus we understand why we say "Yekum Purkan" [May salvation arise - after the Torah reading, before the additional service on Shabbos] and "Brich Sh'mei" [Blessed be the Name - when removing the Torah from the Ark] and similar things when in a congregation. According to this, if one prays at home he cannot say either "Yekum Purkan" [there are two such paragraphs], and so is proven in the Ohr Zarua HaGadol in the laws of Shabbos Siman 50.