# About 27 letters with Egyptian prototypes (Albright, Hamilton)

> Still possible: The earliest alphabet had about 27 letters, each derived from an identifiable Egyptian sign, including consonants that Phoenician later…

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/answers/ANS0DEDYQ73G7Y9/about-27-letters-with-egyptian-prototypes-albright-hamilton  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol: the first alphabet](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic)[How many letters did the earliest alphabet have, and which Egyptian signs are their prototypes?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW8BKH407/how-many-letters-did-the-earliest-alphabet-have-and-which)Answer

Answer · Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol: the first alphabet

# About 27 letters with Egyptian prototypes (Albright, Hamilton)

The earliest alphabet had about 27 letters, each derived from an identifiable Egyptian sign, including consonants that Phoenician later merged.

**Still possible** Answers **1** question0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** Two pieces of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- New imaging will confirm distinct signs for the consonants Phoenician merged.
- Any Middle Bronze abecedary will list about 27 signs.

## What would rule it out

- An early abecedary with 22 or fewer signs.
- Demonstration that the supposed extra letters are variants of others.

## Evidence 2 for · none against

[A 15th-century hieratic ostracon from Theban Tomb 99 preserves the h-l-h-m letter order of the longer South Semitic…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/evidence/EVD0DEEB57EH5CM/a-15th-century-hieratic-ostracon-from-theban-tomb-99)

Suggestive

FOR

[Albright identified 23 of a probable 27 letters, Hamilton gives each an Egyptian prototype, and a Wadi el-Hol sign has…](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/evidence/EVD0DEEB4AEFYMB/albright-identified-23-of-a-probable-27-letters-hamilton)

Supported

FOR

## The questions it answers

[How many letters did the earliest alphabet have, and which Egyptian signs are their prototypes?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW8BKH407/how-many-letters-did-the-earliest-alphabet-have-and-which)

Open2 answers, none ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). About 27 letters with Egyptian prototypes (Albright, Hamilton) [Answer ANS0DEDYQ73G7Y9]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DEDYQ73G7Y9
```

Key

**ANS** 0DEDYQ73G7Y9

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Proposed

[Session 1](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/sessions/SES0DEEC4SCCB1B/session-1-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-seeded-corpus) · 31 Oct 2026

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