Jeff A. Benner | Ancient Hebrew Alphabet - Lesson 1 - Aleph @ancienthebreworg | Uploaded July 2011 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
This video series is now available as a DVD - ancient-hebrew.org/bookstore/dvd_aha.html
The history and evolution of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the letter aleph - א.
A chart of the Ancient Hebrew Alphabet is available through the Ancient Hebrew Research Center - ancient-hebrew.org/28_chart.html
Name
The name of the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet is aleph. Aleph is a Hebrew word meaning ox as can be found in Ps 8:7 - all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
Form
4,000 years ago, the Hebrew alphabet was written with pictographs. The original form for this letter was a picture of an ox head.
Meaning
This letter represents the ideas of strength and power, the characteristics of the ox. This pictograph may also represent a chief or other leader.
Sound
This letter has an ah sound as in the word ox, or an eh as in the word elk.
Vocabulary
Some Hebrew words that begin with this letter are el meaning mighty one, but often translated as god, av, meaning father, aniy meaning I, and adon meaning lord.
Early form
The ancient hebrew aleph can be seen in this rock inscription found at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai Penninsula, which was inscribed about 1500 BC.
Middle form
Around 1000 BC the Hebrew alphabet evolved into a simpler form that usually called Paleo-Hebrew. This form can be seen in the Tel Dan inscription that dates to about 850 BC.
Greek
This form of the letter was adopted by the Greeks and became the letter alpha, note the similarity between the Hebrew name aleph and the Greek name alpha.
Second Middle form
The aleph was also written in a slightly different form and this form can be seen on the Moabite Stone which is also dated at about 850 BC.
Number
This letter, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet became the number 1.
Late form
Around 400 BC this letter evolved again, as it appears in this scroll fragment found in the Dead Sea Caves dated to the first century BC or first century AD.
Modern
This letter is very similar to the Modern Hebrew letter as can be seen in the Aleppo Codex dated to about 1000 AD.
This video series is now available as a DVD - ancient-hebrew.org/bookstore/dvd_aha.html
The history and evolution of the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the letter aleph - א.
A chart of the Ancient Hebrew Alphabet is available through the Ancient Hebrew Research Center - ancient-hebrew.org/28_chart.html
Name
The name of the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet is aleph. Aleph is a Hebrew word meaning ox as can be found in Ps 8:7 - all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
Form
4,000 years ago, the Hebrew alphabet was written with pictographs. The original form for this letter was a picture of an ox head.
Meaning
This letter represents the ideas of strength and power, the characteristics of the ox. This pictograph may also represent a chief or other leader.
Sound
This letter has an ah sound as in the word ox, or an eh as in the word elk.
Vocabulary
Some Hebrew words that begin with this letter are el meaning mighty one, but often translated as god, av, meaning father, aniy meaning I, and adon meaning lord.
Early form
The ancient hebrew aleph can be seen in this rock inscription found at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai Penninsula, which was inscribed about 1500 BC.
Middle form
Around 1000 BC the Hebrew alphabet evolved into a simpler form that usually called Paleo-Hebrew. This form can be seen in the Tel Dan inscription that dates to about 850 BC.
Greek
This form of the letter was adopted by the Greeks and became the letter alpha, note the similarity between the Hebrew name aleph and the Greek name alpha.
Second Middle form
The aleph was also written in a slightly different form and this form can be seen on the Moabite Stone which is also dated at about 850 BC.
Number
This letter, the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet became the number 1.
Late form
Around 400 BC this letter evolved again, as it appears in this scroll fragment found in the Dead Sea Caves dated to the first century BC or first century AD.
Modern
This letter is very similar to the Modern Hebrew letter as can be seen in the Aleppo Codex dated to about 1000 AD.
