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Collection of the Israel Antiquities Authority/Courtesy the Zeitah Excavations, R.E. Tappy, Director/Photo by West Semitic Research

LETTER MIX-UP? The alphabet carved right-to-left on the tenth century B.C.E. stone Tel Zayit abecedary has the same letter reversal as the Izbet Sartah abecedary; that is, instead of the familiar ayin (o)/pe (p) order, it shows pe/ayin. Author Mitchell First says this is not simply the result of an inexperienced scribe making a mistake.