Ancient Phoenicians Writing System Status: 🌱 Updated: July 26 2022 Category: Information Theory, Technology of Writing, Description 1000 BC 22 symbols, each denoting one consonant The letters were borrowed from hieroglyphic pictures, such that the name of the letter began with the sound of the letter. For example, the symbol “mem” meant water and became the letter “m” and “aleph” meant ox and became the letter “a”.