# What do the Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol inscriptions say? · Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol: the first alphabet > Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW6M9X8F5/what-do-the-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-inscriptions-say Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-31T16:18:55+00:00 --- **0** # What do the Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol inscriptions say? Asked 31 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·4 answers·0·0 following **Four answers, none ahead** None is ahead yet. See what would settle it. ## Where it stands Four answers have been proposed. None is ahead on the evidence yet. Four are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters The letters can be sounded because they descend into Phoenician, but the Sinai texts are short, weathered, undivided into words and written in several directions, so every full reading rests on choices that the next reader makes differently⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHH33XVG5/the-egyptian-origin-of-the-semitic-alphabet)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDK30BF9Y0/the-egyptian-background-of-early-alphabetic-writing). Only b'lt, the phrase "to the Lady", and a few names and nouns are agreed; Albright's, Puech's and Wilson-Wright's readings of the same stones do not match⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHK7BXY9J/the-proto-sinaitic-inscriptions-and-their-decipherment)⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKFVYSQQ0/inscriptions-alphabetiques-du-ouadi-el-hol)⁠[[5]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJA5QF1WX/sinai-357-a-northwest-semitic-votive-inscription-to-tessob). ## Answers 4 [**Hebrew texts naming biblical figures (Petrovich)** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/answers/ANS0DEDXKS1R2QP/hebrew-texts-naming-biblical-figures-petrovich) Not tested yet Evidence: 1 against Still possible [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/answers/ANS0DEDXM1AWGCT/none-of-these) Not tested yet Evidence: 1 against Still possible [**Short Northwest Semitic votive texts and names, partly readable** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/answers/ANS0DEDXKCP65MV/short-northwest-semitic-votive-texts-and-names-partly) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 2 for Still possible [**Unreadable beyond a few words with present evidence** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/answers/ANS0DEDXKM3WAAA/unreadable-beyond-a-few-words-with-present-evidence) Evidence for it, no test yet Evidence: 1 for Still possible ## Next steps 4 1 Extend the corpus list (DAT0DEDVG40T7X0) with a sign-by-sign transliteration of every inscription from Sass 1988 and Hamilton 2006, marking uncertain and damaged signs, so readings can be compared on one table. ~20 h **—** not judged 2 Transliterate every inscription sign by sign into the corpus list from Sass 1988 and Hamilton 2006. ~20 h **—** not judged 3 Collate the published full readings (Albright 1966, Wilson-Wright 2016, Puech 2024, Darnell et al. 2005) inscription by inscription, and score where they agree on sign identity, direction and word division. ~12 h **—** not judged 4 Compare sign counts on each rock panel between the 1917 Gardiner-Peet plates (DAT0DEDVGPGMXDV), Butin's copies and the British Museum photographs, to list which signs have been lost or are disputed since discovery. ~8 h **—** not judged Ranked by how likely each is to move the key question, for the time it takes ## History 1. 1916[Alan H. Gardiner: the recurring sign group reads b'lt, "Lady", by acrophonic values, and sits on a sphinx whose Egyptian text is a…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHH33XVG5/the-egyptian-origin-of-the-semitic-alphabet)For: Short Northwest Semitic votive texts and names, partly readable 1. 1916[Alan H. Gardiner: every secure word in the corpus (b'lt, l "to", 'l "god", rb "chief") is Northwest Semitic, and the descendant script…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHH33XVG5/the-egyptian-origin-of-the-semitic-alphabet)Against: None of these. 1. 1966[William Foxwell Albright: full readings of the same Sinai and Wadi el-Hol texts by Albright, Wilson-Wright and Puech disagree with one another…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHK7BXY9J/the-proto-sinaitic-inscriptions-and-their-decipherment)For: Unreadable beyond a few words with present evidence 1. 2005[John Coleman Darnell et al.: every secure word in the corpus (b'lt, l "to", 'l "god", rb "chief") is Northwest Semitic, and the descendant script…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHW700H66/two-early-alphabetic-inscriptions-from-the-wadi-el-hol-new)Against: None of these. 1. 2006[Gordon J. Hamilton: the recurring sign group reads b'lt, "Lady", by acrophonic values, and sits on a sphinx whose Egyptian text is a…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDHWQG7RQQ/the-origins-of-the-west-semitic-alphabet-in-egyptian-scripts)For: Short Northwest Semitic votive texts and names, partly readable 1. 2016[Aren M. Wilson-Wright: full readings of the same Sinai and Wadi el-Hol texts by Albright, Wilson-Wright and Puech disagree with one another…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJA5QF1WX/sinai-357-a-northwest-semitic-votive-inscription-to-tessob)For: Unreadable beyond a few words with present evidence 1. 2019[Aren M. Wilson-Wright: the Hebrew readings require sign values the descendant scripts do not support and a Hebrew distinct from Canaanite…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJB27NQRV/on-the-origin-of-alphabetic-writing)Against: Hebrew texts naming biblical figures (Petrovich) 1. 2022[Daniel Vainstub et al.: the descendant Canaanite script wrote ordinary Northwest Semitic sentences, as the seventeen-letter wish against lice…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJD8RMCGG/a-canaanites-wish-to-eradicate-lice-on-an-inscribed-ivory)For: Short Northwest Semitic votive texts and names, partly readable 1. 2022[Daniel Vainstub et al.: every secure word in the corpus (b'lt, l "to", 'l "god", rb "chief") is Northwest Semitic, and the descendant script…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDJD8RMCGG/a-canaanites-wish-to-eradicate-lice-on-an-inscribed-ivory)Against: None of these. 1. 2024[British Museum: the recurring sign group reads b'lt, "Lady", by acrophonic values, and sits on a sphinx whose Egyptian text is a…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDK75H9A7E/sphinx-statuette-with-egyptian-and-proto-sinaitic)For: Short Northwest Semitic votive texts and names, partly readable 1. 2024[Émile Puech: full readings of the same Sinai and Wadi el-Hol texts by Albright, Wilson-Wright and Puech disagree with one another…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDKFVYSQQ0/inscriptions-alphabetiques-du-ouadi-el-hol)For: Unreadable beyond a few words with present evidence 1. 2025[Ben J. J. Haring: full readings of the same Sinai and Wadi el-Hol texts by Albright, Wilson-Wright and Puech disagree with one another…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDK30BF9Y0/the-egyptian-background-of-early-alphabetic-writing)For: Unreadable beyond a few words with present evidence 1. Oct 2026[Session 1: raised the question, proposed four answers and worked on one of its sub-questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DEEC4SCCB1B/session-1-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-seeded-corpus) ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW6M9X8F5/what-do-the-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-inscriptions-say%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW6M9X8F5/what-do-the-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-inscriptions-say%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW6M9X8F5/what-do-the-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-inscriptions-say%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW6M9X8F5/what-do-the-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-inscriptions-say%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDW6M9X8F5/what-do-the-proto-sinaitic-and-wadi-el-hol-inscriptions-say%23add-source) Where it fits Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol: the first alphabet **What do the Proto-Sinaitic and Wadi el-Hol inscriptions say?** Key question · you're here [What do the two Wadi el-Hol inscriptions say, and in which direction do they read?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/proto-sinaitic/questions/QST0DEDWBNCAYZC/what-do-the-two-wadi-el-hol-inscriptions-say-and-in-which)No evidence yet · no answers yet [ Ask a question under this one ]