Definition
Script is any particular system of writing or the written means of human communication. In the West writing begins in Sumeria over 4,000 years ago and their Epic of Gilgamesh is a stunning example of what the written word can produce. The Sumerians considered writing a gift from the god Enlil (as, later, the Babylonians would also claim from their own god, Nabu).
In ancient Egypt the god Thoth (not surprisingly, the patron god of scribes) created script. Thoth “was not only the scribe and historian of the gods but also kept the calendar and invented art and science. In some Egyptian myths, Thoth is also portrayed as the creator of speech and possessing the power to transform speech into material objects. This ties in closely with the Egyptian belief that in order for a person to achieve immortality his or her name must be spoken or inscribed somewhere forever” (http://www.ancientscripts.com/ws_origins.html).
In Greece writing begins with the Myceneaen Civilization and the as-yet undecipherable Linear B script. The alphabet of most modern languages originated in ancient Phoenicia and first came to Greece sometime before the 8th century, from whence it spread. Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey, written around the 8th century, are early examples of Greek use of the Phoenician alphabet, as are the classics Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod.
In ancient Egypt the god Thoth (not surprisingly, the patron god of scribes) created script. Thoth “was not only the scribe and historian of the gods but also kept the calendar and invented art and science. In some Egyptian myths, Thoth is also portrayed as the creator of speech and possessing the power to transform speech into material objects. This ties in closely with the Egyptian belief that in order for a person to achieve immortality his or her name must be spoken or inscribed somewhere forever” (http://www.ancientscripts.com/ws_origins.html).
In Greece writing begins with the Myceneaen Civilization and the as-yet undecipherable Linear B script. The alphabet of most modern languages originated in ancient Phoenicia and first came to Greece sometime before the 8th century, from whence it spread. Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey, written around the 8th century, are early examples of Greek use of the Phoenician alphabet, as are the classics Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod.
Articles
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Phoenician is a Canaanite language closely related to Hebrew. Very little is known about the Canaanite language, except what can be gathered from the El-Amarna letters written...
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Writing is undeniably one of humanity's most important inventions. The earliest forms of storing information on objects were numerical inscriptions on clay tablets, used for administration, accounting...
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Illustrations
Script Books
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Michael Wiese Productions (01 August 2005)Price: $16.47 -
Michael Wiese Productions (01 March 2008)Price: $11.53 -
University of California Press (12 January 2001)Price: $17.21 -
Thames & Hudson (06 April 2009)Price: $19.77 -
University Of Chicago Press (15 June 1995)Price: $22.50
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