\ N'TIOUITY OF WRITING. 37<> 



Mr. Richardson, hi his Arabic Grammar, observes, as a proof of 

 the richness of this language, that it consists of two thousand ra. 

 dical words. 



The old Arabic characters are said to be of very high antiquity ; 

 lor ttbn Hashem relates, that an inscription in it was found in 

 Y'aman, as old as the time of Joseph. These traditions may have 

 given occasion to some authors to suppose the Arabians to have 

 been the inventors of letters ; and Sir Isaac Newton * sup. 

 poses, that Moses learned the alphabet from the Midianites, who 

 were Arabians. 



The Arabian alphabet consists of twenty.eight letters, which are 

 somewhat similar to the ancient Kufic, in which characters the first 

 copies of the Alcoran were written. 



The present Arabic characters were formed by Ebn Moklah, a 

 learned Arabian, who lived about three hundred years after Maho. 

 met. We learn from the Arabian writers themselves, that their 

 alphabet is not ancient. Al Asmahi says, that the Koreish were 

 asked, " From whom did you learn writing ?" and that they an. 

 swered, ** From Hirah." That the people of Ilirah were asked, 

 " From whom did you learn writing ?'' and they said " From the 

 Ambarites." Ebn Al Habli and Al Heisham Ebn Admi relate, 

 that Abi Sofian, Mahomet's great opposer, was asked, u From 

 whom did your father receive this form of writing ?" and that he 

 said, " From Ashlam Ebn Sidrah j" and. that Ashlam being asked, 

 f ' From whom did you receive writing ?" his answer was, " From 

 the person that invented it, Moramer Ebn Morrah ;" and that they 

 received this form of writing but a little before Islamism t. 



OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS. 



BEFORE we conclude, we shall make a few reflections on the 

 foregoing claims of different nations to the invention of letters. 

 The vanity of each nation induces them to pretend to the most early 

 civilization ; but such is the uncertainty of ancient history, that it 

 is difficult to decide to whom the honour is due. It however should 

 seem, from what hath been advanced in the course of this part of 

 our inquiry, that the contest may be confined to the Egyptians, 

 the Phenicians, and the Chaldeans. The Greek writers, and most 



* Chronology of Egypt, p. 205, 8vo. edit. 



f Wise, en the first inhabitants, &c of Europe, p. 99. 



