Riches and Wealth
The Phoenician Writing System
The Phoenicians were rich and powerful because over one thousand years they travel millions of miles carrying millions of tons of freight through a network of trade that included more than 300 ports.
The Phoenicians with their ships developed and improved on the two great inventions of the ancient world – (1) a simple system of writing based on an alphabet of 22 characters, and (2) with that writing a system of trade where the exchange of goods for money was separated into two parts.
Their ships carried the goods and their scripts controlled the details of how much gold or silver would be used to make payments. Goods and money moved in apposite directions through separate channels. Such a system of business needed written documents. Anyone who has been involved with business understands that control of goods and money is essential for the successful operation of trade. The Phoenicians did just that.
They moved the goods on the water. They made a written manifest of what was in their ships. The checking of the list of goods delivered was important before the payment of any money. It is clear that wherever the Phoenicians traded we find evidence of their written alphabet. Indeed, today at least 80% of the world’s international trade uses writing systems that have alphabets that originated from the Phoenicians. What a legacy these ancient people have given us!
Writing systems are important for trade as well as religion. Some have calculated that 80% of the original Bible was written in Hebrew, a system of writing that is closely tied to the Phoenicians.
Our Phoenician ship replica in Montrose, Iowa confirms that the Phoenicians 2,600 years ago had the technology to cross the Atlantic. We recognize that there are thousands of stones in North America that have scripts cut in stone that are closely associated with the Phoenician system of writing.
We now have the good fortune to unveil 1,274 images of stones that have never been in view of the public. We are so excited about determining through computer analysis and code breaking technologies the significance of these inscriptions.
Heartland Research has made contact with some of the world’s leading authorities on the use of computational linguistics and artificial intelligence. We have already make appointments to meet with these experts in the coming weeks.
Our plan is clear. We will push forward with the restoration of the world’s oldest ship replica that crossed the Atlantic and we will get on the frontier of new knowledge as it relates to the use of Phoenician based scripts in North America.
