"According to the Persians best informed in history, the Phoenicians began to quarrel. This people, who had formerly dwelt on the shores of the Erythraean Sea, having migrated [Exodus] to the Mediterranean and settled in the parts which they now inhabit, began at once, they say, to adventure on long voyages, freighting their vessels with the wares of Egypt and Assyria. They landed at many places on the coast, and among the rest at Argos, which was then preeminent above all the states included now under the common name of Hellas. Here they exposed their merchandise, and traded with the natives ...." -- Herodotus, historian, The History, Book I, 440 B.C.
"... Cadmus brought letters out of Phoenicia, and was the first who taught the Grecians how to pronounce them, and gave them their several names, and formed their distinct characters: hence these letters are generally called Phoenician letters, because they were brought over out of Phoenicia into Greece: but they were afterwards called Pelasgian characters, because the Pelasgians were the first that understood them after they were brought over." -- Diodorus Siculus, historian, The Library of History, 1st century B.C.
"And therefore it is believed, that, many ages after, Cadmus the son of Agenor brought the knowledge of letters out of Phoenicia first into Greece;" -- Diodorus Siculus, historian, The Library of History, 1st century B.C.
"But there are some who attribute the invention of letters to the Syrians [aka Jews], from whom the Phoenicans learned them, and communicated them to the Grecians when they came with Cadmus into Europe: whence the Grecians called them Phoenician letters. To these that hold this opinion, it is answered, that the Phoenicans were not the first that found out letters, but only changed the form and shape of them into other characters, which many afterwards using, the name of Phoenician grew to be common." -- Diodorus Siculus, historian, The Library of History, 1st century B.C.
"But Eupolemus says that the first wise man was Moses, and that he was the first to teach the Jews letters, and from the Jews the Phoenicians received them, and from the Phoenicians the Greeks, and that Moses was the first to give written laws to the Jews." -- Lucius C. Alexander Polyhistor, historian, Concerning the Jews, Quoted In Eusebius Preparations for the Gospel Book IX Chapter XXVI, 1st century B.C.
Also see here.
It is interesting that Moses Maimonides was a Sabaean who later became the heavy handed Tax extractor and Totalitarian ruler of the Jews from the hand of Saladin (who only demanded a very small token as a tribute for granting this request, as it is said that Saladin was most delighted and happy to rid himself of the Jewish problem)); Saladin was was Maimonides patient as Maimonides a medical doctor. The Sabaeans played a strong esoteric role in the region and Moses was probably a Sabaeans as well. Moses wife (one of them) came from this region which was said to be - once a highly efficient fertile agricultural production area and wealthy region by itself. Today, the ancient ruins of Sabaea can still be seen but are sparsely occupied. The roots were obviously far further back in history and this may have been one of those groups recorded in petroglyph's prior to the establishment of Pharonic Egypt, that is, in transit from further East? It is also interesting to see the divisions in the belief systems which are common place in Far east Asia. The Sabaeans were known for their astronomical observation and academia and Maimonides stated that in fact, the Jews served as the Observers of the Rituals (through constant astronomical observations) in Pharonic Egypt where the term Jew, meant and, or signified just that: Thus I have Heard.
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