| Zayit Stone | |
|---|---|
 Drawing of inscription on the Zayit Stone | |
| Material | Limestone boulder |
| Size | 38 pounds (17 kg) |
| Writing | Phoenician/Paleo-Hebrew |
| Created | 10th c. BCE |
| Discovered | 2005 |
The Zayit Stone is a 38-pound (17 kg) limestone boulder dating to the 10th century BCE, discovered on 15 July 2005 at Tel Zayit (Zeitah) in the Guvrin Valley, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Jerusalem.[1] The boulder measures 37.5 by 27 by 15.7 centimetres (14.8 in × 10.6 in × 6.2 in) and was embedded in the stone wall of a building. It is the earliest known example of the complete Phoenician or Paleo-Hebrew alphabet[2] as it had developed after the Bronze Age collapse out of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet.
The flat side of the boulder is inscribed with a complete abecedary, although in a different order to the traditional version.[3] The first line contains eighteen letters (aleph through tsadi), while the second contains the remaining four letters (qoph through tav) followed by two enigmatic zigzag symbols.
- ^ Wilford, John Noble (November 9, 2005). "A Is for Ancient, Describing an Alphabet Found Near Jerusalem". Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ Rollston 2008.
- ^ Tappy p.344