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

Parker's 2026 review finds the New Kingdom evidence at Serabit, chiefly two sherds from Mine L, weak, and evidence for…

Parker's 2026 review finds the New Kingdom evidence at Serabit, chiefly two sherds from Mine L, weak, and evidence for Semitic speakers on New Kingdom expeditions very thin.

Suggestive0

What it means

Key questionWhen were the Serabit el-Khadim inscriptions written: in the Middle Kingdom, about 1850 BC, or in the New Kingdom?

4 answers, none ahead yet

Openunchanged

Answer this evidence bears onEarly New Kingdom, c. 1550-1450 BC

Counts against1 for, 1 against

Still possibleunchanged

Sources 1

The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions at Serabit el-Khadim in Their Archaeological Context. Part II: Arguments for a Late Date Reviewed

Parker 2026

SRC

Cite it

Mysteries Department. (2026). Parker's 2026 review finds the New Kingdom evidence at Serabit, chiefly two sherds from Mine L, weak, and evidence for… [Evidence EVD0DEEAHKG0DSY]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DEEAHKG0DSY

@misc{mysteriesdept_evd0deeahkg0dsy,
  title     = {Parker's 2026 review finds the New Kingdom evidence at Serabit, chiefly two sherds from Mine L, weak, and evidence for…},
  author    = {{Mysteries Department}},
  year      = {2026},
  note      = {Evidence, catalog key EVD0DEEAHKG0DSY},
  url       = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DEEAHKG0DSY}
}