Byblos Syllabary Decipherment: A Script with Only Fourteen Inscriptions Left

Symbols and Traces, My Case Investigation Record 59

Vivlos syllables decoded
a letter with only 14 inscriptions left

The bronze plate and stone monument found in Biblos, Lebanon, are inscribed with symbols that are neither Egyptian hieroglyphics nor Phoenician characters. The data is as small as fourteen inscriptions.

Figure 1. Vivlos' bronze inscription — Image:

From the conclusion of this record to
Non-blossom characters are likely syllable characters and some word boundary candidates can also be suggested. However, the amount of data is too small to predict the whole deciphering method independently. A new inscription could be a game changer.

Prologue: Recorded Night

After the night deepens, the data was spread on the desk. The first thing that caught my eye was not the answer, but the imbalance. Some scenes were as clear as photographs and some time zones were empty as a whole. People try to capture one clear scene and explain the whole thing, but I marked the empty section first. Mysteries arise because there are many clues, but they also arise because the distance between clues is too far.

The number of symbols is larger than the alphabet and less than the letters in complex tables, so it is often suggested that they are syllable characters. The two longest bronze plates give data to study word boundaries and iterations, but without language and bilingual inscriptions, several decipherments compete.

I deliberately read the famous hypothesis at the end. First of all, when we encounter the conclusion, it seems that all objects and symbols exist for that conclusion. Therefore, the timetable, place, object, and original text were organized first, and the witness and interpretation were placed in different compartments. The novel-like atmosphere was drawn from the cold texture of the actual record, not from a made-up secret.

Figure 2. Magnify hieroglyphic-looking symbols — Image:

Case File: What I Could Believe

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Number	Confirmed Record	Current Reliability
1	The Biblos alphabet is known as a small number of inscriptions from Biblos, Lebanon.	High
2	The data are organized into about 14 pieces, including bronze plates, stone monuments, and bronze tools.	High
3	The number of symbols is larger than the simple alphabet, so the syllable character hypothesis is likely.	High
4	Some documents are relatively long but not juxtaposed with known languages.	Medium
5	Several scholars have proposed deciphering the calculus, but there is no universal agreement.	Medium

The recording language, complete syllables, the contents of the inscription and the purpose of its production have not been resolved.

Caution trap
'Unexplained' is not the same as 'supernatural', 'a huge conspiracy', and 'only this hypothesis is possible'. I didn't count the blanks as evidence.

Figure 3. Comparing the material and size of the Nineteen inscriptions — Image:

Scene Reconstruction: Finally, the place of the certain point

was changed to the actual movement, not the stage in your head. We divided the starting point, the last check point, and the location where the item was found and calculated the minimum time required in between. When the dramatic description of later generations was removed, small and specific elements such as sound and lighting, doors and roads, paper and ink, and the spacing of symbols came forward.

The person's mind was not fixed and the action was written first. The same behavior can be caused by fear, planning, error, and fatigue. If it is a code, the same symbol can be a sound, a word, a separator, and a meaningless sign. After writing down all possible roles, he erased the roles that conflict with other records one by one.

Clue 1. Vivlos letters are known as a handful of inscriptions from Vivlos, Lebanon.

I split this sentence into three pieces first. It indicated who first checked, how close the confirmation was to the incident, and where the later interpretation was attached. Old events and codes turn into clearer stories than the original while being repeatedly cited. But clarity is not the same thing as accuracy. In my notes, I separated the direct record, the traces left by the object, and the reasoning of later generations into different colors.

This clue was then confronted with the record, "The data are organized into about 14 points, including bronze plates, stone monuments, and bronze tools." It is not a good hypothesis if one hypothesis explains only the first sentence and avoids the second sentence. In particular, if you fail to pass the question, "Can grammar and syllables be estimated simultaneously with fourteen inscriptions?" the attractive explanation also lowered the score. I've seen clues that make the conclusion uncomfortable longer than clues that make the conclusion cool.

If you look at the clues this way, the case seems a little less dramatic. Instead, there is a boundary between how far it is clear and where it is imagined. That boundary is necessary to correct reasoning when new data are released. The most dangerous moment in the unwritten record is not when you make a false hypothesis, but when you turn the hypothesis into a sentence of fact.

Clue 2. The data is organized into about 14 points, including bronze plates, stone monuments, and bronze tools.

I split this sentence into three pieces first. It indicated who first checked, how close the confirmation was to the incident, and where the later interpretation was attached. Old events and codes turn into clearer stories than the original while being repeatedly cited. But clarity is not the same thing as accuracy. In my notes, I separated the direct record, the traces left by the object, and the reasoning of later generations into different colors.

This clue was then confronted with the record, "The number of symbols is larger than that of simple alphabets, so the syllable letter hypothesis is likely." It is not a good hypothesis if one hypothesis explains only the first sentence and avoids the second sentence. In particular, if you fail to pass the question, "How do you distinguish the similarity of the symbol shape and the similarity of the sound value?" the attractive explanation also lowered the score. I've seen clues that make the conclusion uncomfortable longer than clues that make the conclusion cool.

If you look at the clues this way, the case seems a little less dramatic. Instead, there is a boundary between how far it is clear and where it is imagined. That boundary is necessary to correct reasoning when new data are released. The most dangerous moment in the unwritten record is not when you make a false hypothesis, but when you turn the hypothesis into a sentence of fact.

Figure 4. Line arrangement of the longest bronze plate — Image:

Clue 3. Since the number of symbols is larger than the simple alphabet, the syllable character hypothesis is likely.

I split this sentence into three pieces first. It indicated who first checked, how close the confirmation was to the incident, and where the later interpretation was attached. Old events and codes turn into clearer stories than the original while being repeatedly cited. But clarity is not the same thing as accuracy. In my notes, I separated the direct record, the traces left by the object, and the reasoning of later generations into different colors.

This clue then confronted the record, "Some documents are relatively long, but not in combination with known languages." It is not a good hypothesis if one hypothesis explains only the first sentence and avoids the second sentence. In particular, if you fail to pass the question, "Does the sea breaching predict word boundaries in the first inscription you see?" the attractive explanation also lowered the score. I've seen clues that make the conclusion uncomfortable longer than clues that make the conclusion cool.

If you look at the clues this way, the case seems a little less dramatic. Instead, there is a boundary between how far it is clear and where it is imagined. That boundary is necessary to correct reasoning when new data are released. The most dangerous moment in the unwritten record is not when you make a false hypothesis, but when you turn the hypothesis into a sentence of fact.

Clue 4. Some documents are relatively long, but not juxtaposed with known languages.

I split this sentence into three pieces first. It indicated who first checked, how close the confirmation was to the incident, and where the later interpretation was attached. Old events and codes turn into clearer stories than the original while being repeatedly cited. But clarity is not the same thing as accuracy. In my notes, I separated the direct record, the traces left by the object, and the reasoning of later generations into different colors.

This clue was then confronted with the record that "a number of scholars have proposed deciphering the calculus, but there is no universal agreement." It is not a good hypothesis if one hypothesis explains only the first sentence and avoids the second sentence. In particular, if you fail to pass the question, "Can grammar and syllables be estimated simultaneously with fourteen inscriptions?" the attractive explanation also lowered the score. I've seen clues that make the conclusion uncomfortable longer than clues that make the conclusion cool.

If you look at the clues this way, the case seems a little less dramatic. Instead, there is a boundary between how far it is clear and where it is imagined. That boundary is necessary to correct reasoning when new data are released. The most dangerous moment in the unwritten record is not when you make a false hypothesis, but when you turn the hypothesis into a sentence of fact.

Clue 5. Several scholars have proposed deciphering the calculus, but there is no universal agreement.

I split this sentence into three pieces first. It indicated who first checked, how close the confirmation was to the incident, and where the later interpretation was attached. Old events and codes turn into clearer stories than the original while being repeatedly cited. But clarity is not the same thing as accuracy. In my notes, I separated the direct record, the traces left by the object, and the reasoning of later generations into different colors.

This clue was then confronted with the record, "Vivlos letters are known as a few inscriptions from Vivlos, Lebanon." It is not a good hypothesis if one hypothesis explains only the first sentence and avoids the second sentence. In particular, if you fail to pass the question, "How do you distinguish the similarity of the symbol shape and the similarity of the sound value?" the attractive explanation also lowered the score. I've seen clues that make the conclusion uncomfortable longer than clues that make the conclusion cool.

If you look at the clues this way, the case seems a little less dramatic. Instead, there is a boundary between how far it is clear and where it is imagined. That boundary is necessary to correct reasoning when new data are released. The most dangerous moment in the unwritten record is not when you make a false hypothesis, but when you turn the hypothesis into a sentence of fact.

Figure 5. Word boundaries found as repeat symbols — Image:

Put three hypotheses on the same scale The

hypothesis was not evaluated as a cool sentence. The number of clues to be explained, the number of newly requested assumptions, and the degree to which they endure the opposite evidence were written, respectively. Even if one clue is fully explained, it is not a good hypothesis if the other records have to be discarded.

Hypothesis A. We first detect word boundaries with intervals between iterative symbols.

This explanation has the advantage of accepting "the Biblos letter is known as a few inscriptions from the Lebanese Biblos" as a relatively small assumption. I assumed that this hypothesis was correct and walked time and space all over again. Each time people, objects, and symbols moved to the next location, they wrote down the actions and times they needed. There must have been a hidden assumption at the point where the sentence was cut off.

The biggest weakness is that it does not fully explain "the syllabic hypothesis is likely because the number of symbols is larger than the simple alphabet." If you keep adding accomplices, coincidences, and lost things to keep the hypothesis alive, you can explain anything. However, such an explanation does not predict new clues. I only scored when two independent records pointed in the same direction, and I scored every time I called in a new exception.

117100118

So, whether or not to adopt this hypothesis as a conclusion was judged not by atmosphere but by cost. The number of clues to be explained, the number of newly requested households, and the degree to which they endure evidence against them are listed in the same table. Novel scenes were used to show the texture of facts, but not as evidence to fill in the blanks.

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Hypothesis B. Assume that the initial syllabic system is an initial syllabic system, and test the proper nouns and constitutional phrases.

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This explanation has the advantage of accepting "the data are organized into about 14 points, including bronze plates, stone tools, and bronze tools." as a relatively small assumption. I assumed that this hypothesis was correct and walked time and space all over again. Each time people, objects, and symbols moved to the next location, they wrote down the actions and times they needed. There must have been a hidden assumption at the point where the sentence was cut off.

123103124

The biggest weakness is that it does not fully explain "some documents are relatively long, but not in combination with known languages." If you keep adding accomplices, coincidences, and lost things to keep the hypothesis alive, you can explain anything. However, such an explanation does not predict new clues. I only scored when two independent records pointed in the same direction, and I scored every time I called in a new exception.

125104126

So, whether or not to adopt this hypothesis as a conclusion was judged not by atmosphere but by cost. The number of clues to be explained, the number of newly requested households, and the degree to which they endure evidence against them are listed in the same table. Novel scenes were used to show the texture of facts, but not as evidence to fill in the blanks.

127105128

Hypothesis C. Refer only to the system of symbols that resemble Egyptian hieroglyphs and shapes and do not directly copy the phonetic value.

129106130

This explanation has the advantage of accepting as a relatively small assumption that "the number of symbols is larger than that of simple alphabets, so the syllable character hypothesis is likely." I assumed that this hypothesis was correct and walked time and space all over again. Each time people, objects, and symbols moved to the next location, they wrote down the actions and times they needed. There must have been a hidden assumption at the point where the sentence was cut off.

131107132

The biggest weakness is that it does not fully explain "a number of scholars have proposed decoding of the numerals, but there is no universal agreement." If you keep adding accomplices, coincidences, and lost things to keep the hypothesis alive, you can explain anything. However, such an explanation does not predict new clues. I only scored when two independent records pointed in the same direction, and I scored every time I called in a new exception.

133108134

So, whether or not to adopt this hypothesis as a conclusion was judged not by atmosphere but by cost. The number of clues to be explained, the number of newly requested households, and the degree to which they endure evidence against them are listed in the same table. Novel scenes were used to show the texture of facts, but not as evidence to fill in the blanks.

Figure 6. The ruins of Vivlos and the Mediterranean port — Image:

Conclusions I abandoned

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When I started the investigation, I was also drawn to the most famous explanation. It organized the case into one sentence and gave intention to everything. However, in contrast to the original record, each blank required a new coincidence. I erased the conclusion then and started again. Good reasoning is not about adding anything, but about removing unnecessary assumptions.

139112140

I marked the longest bronze plate from the interval of the repeat symbol sequence. Word boundary candidates are statistically comparable without having to guess the language. However, seeing boundaries and knowing the meaning of words are completely different steps. Can grammar and syllables be estimated simultaneously with

141113142

In particular, the details repeated on later articles and the Internet were separated from the source. Just because the same sentence appears in multiple places does not mean that there are multiple independent sources. We first checked the possibility that one error was duplicated. After this process, the case became less colorful, but the weight of the remaining clues increased.

Figure 7. Compare Egyptian and Penician characters and their shapes — Image:

Anti-evidence: Sentence to destroy my reasoning

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The investigation ends quickly if I gather data that upholds my conclusion. So I put the three most uncomfortable questions next to the conclusion.

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• Ten inscriptions?
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• How can the similarity of the symbol shape and the similarity of the sound value be distinguished?
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• Predict the word boundary in the first inscription that the deciphering plan sees?

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These questions are not decorative. It is a switch that will change its conclusion when new data comes in. The ranking of the hypotheses changes immediately when directly linked information, such as the sighting source, preserved physical evidence, comparative samples from the same author, and independent dating. On the contrary, when the word "likely" increased, the ranking did not change.

Figure 8. Descriptive syllable candidates — Image:

Final Reasoning: I Reached

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Judgment
Non-blossom characters are likely syllable characters and some word boundary candidates can also be suggested. However, the amount of data is too small to predict the whole deciphering method independently. A new inscription could be a game changer.

161126162

This conclusion is not a complete final judgment. The direction calls for the fewest assumptions in the currently disclosed records and explains the most clues at the same time. It is also clear that what comes out changes the conclusion. Reliable original records, verifiable legal science data, and independent evidence directly linking people and objects are needed.

163127164

I do not write that the case is closed. Instead, write down how far you can close it. That boundary is the result of this investigation. The fun of mystery is not that anything is possible. It's about finding out what you can throw away among the possible explanations.

Figure 9. Collision of different antidotes — Image:

Additional Survey Record 1. Redraw the timetable

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Re-expanding the data on the desk, this time covering the conclusion. The Vivlos alphabet was known as a few inscriptions from the Lebanese Vivlos, leaving only "the place and time in a line. Unconfirmed sections were not filled by imagination but marked with blank squares. The larger the square, the lower the reliability of the hypothesis to pass through the section.

169131170

On top of it, the explanation was posted, "The word boundary is detected first by the interval between the repetition symbols." At first, everything seemed right, but when I substituted the question, "Can we estimate grammar and syllables at the same time with fourteen inscriptions," a weak connection was revealed. Hypothesis has to endure the question. If you keep making new coincidences to avoid questions, you will create, not reasoning, from that moment on.

171132172

The results obtained in this section are not confirmed criminals or complete plain texts. Instead, it became clear which explanations required fewer assumptions, and what would flip the ranking if found. Even if the case is not completed, the scope of the investigation can be narrowed. This record is intended to leave that very narrow boundary.

173133174

Further investigation record 2. Disappeared link

175134176

Re-expanded the data on the desk and covered the conclusion this time. The data is organized into about 14 points, including bronze plates, stone monuments, and bronze tools, leaving only "the place and time in one line." Unconfirmed sections were not filled by imagination but marked with blank squares. The larger the square, the lower the reliability of the hypothesis to pass through the section.

177135178

On top of it, the explanation was posted, "assuming an early ordinal syllable system and testing proper nouns and constitutional phrases." At first, everything seemed right, but when I substituted the question, "How do I distinguish the similarity of symbol shapes and the similarity of sound values?" a weak connection was revealed. Hypothesis has to endure the question. If you keep making new coincidences to avoid questions, you will create, not reasoning, from that moment on.

179136180

The results obtained in this section are not confirmed criminals or complete plain texts. Instead, it became clear which explanations required fewer assumptions, and what would flip the ranking if found. Even if the case is not completed, the scope of the investigation can be narrowed. This record is intended to leave that very narrow boundary.

181137182

Further investigation record 3. The path of movement of objects

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Re-expanded the data on the desk and covered the conclusion this time. The place and time were continued in one line, leaving only "the number of symbols is larger than the simple alphabet, so the syllable letter hypothesis is likely." Unconfirmed sections were not filled by imagination but marked with blank squares. The larger the square, the lower the reliability of the hypothesis to pass through the section.

185139186

On top of it, I posted an explanation that "only refer to the system of symbols that resemble Egyptian hieroglyphs and shapes and do not copy the phonetic value directly." At first, everything seemed to be right, but when I substituted the question, "Does the Declaration predict word boundaries in the first inscriptions I see?" a weak connection was revealed. Hypothesis has to endure the question. If you keep making new coincidences to avoid questions, you will create, not reasoning, from that moment on.

187140188

The results obtained in this section are not confirmed criminals or complete plain texts. Instead, it became clear which explanations required fewer assumptions, and what would flip the ranking if found. Even if the case is not completed, the scope of the investigation can be narrowed. This record is intended to leave that very narrow boundary.

189141190

Further Survey Record 4. Opposite Hypothesis Night

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Re-expanded the data on the desk and covered the conclusion this time. "Some documents are relatively long, but they are not juxtaposed with known languages," he continued with a line of place and time. Unconfirmed sections were not filled by imagination but marked with blank squares. The larger the square, the lower the reliability of the hypothesis to pass through the section.

193143194

On top of it, the explanation was posted, "The word boundary is detected first by the interval between the repetition symbols." At first, everything seemed right, but when I substituted the question, "Can we estimate grammar and syllables at the same time with fourteen inscriptions," a weak connection was revealed. Hypothesis has to endure the question. If you keep making new coincidences to avoid questions, you will create, not reasoning, from that moment on.

195144196

The results obtained in this section are not confirmed criminals or complete plain texts. Instead, it became clear which explanations required fewer assumptions, and what would flip the ranking if found. Even if the case is not completed, the scope of the investigation can be narrowed. This record is intended to leave that very narrow boundary.

197145198

Further Survey Record 5. Distance between record and memory

199146200

I re-opened the material on the desk and covered the conclusion this time. "Many scholars have proposed deciphering the calculus, but there is no universal agreement," he continued, leaving only one line of place and time. Unconfirmed sections were not filled by imagination but marked with blank squares. The larger the square, the lower the reliability of the hypothesis to pass through the section.

201147202

On top of it, the explanation was posted, "assuming an early ordinal syllable system and testing proper nouns and constitutional phrases." At first, everything seemed right, but when I substituted the question, "How do I distinguish the similarity of symbol shapes and the similarity of sound values?" a weak connection was revealed. Hypothesis has to endure the question. If you keep making new coincidences to avoid questions, you will create, not reasoning, from that moment on.

203148204

The results obtained in this section are not confirmed criminals or complete plain texts. Instead, it became clear which explanations required fewer assumptions, and what would flip the ranking if found. Even if the case is not completed, the scope of the investigation can be narrowed. This record is intended to leave that very narrow boundary.

205149206

Additional Survey Record 6. Range of Last Scene

207150208

Re-expanding the data on the desk, this time covering the conclusion. The Vivlos alphabet was known as a few inscriptions from the Lebanese Vivlos, leaving only "the place and time in a line. Unconfirmed sections were not filled by imagination but marked with blank squares. The larger the square, the lower the reliability of the hypothesis to pass through the section.

209151210

On top of it, I posted an explanation that "only refer to the system of symbols that resemble Egyptian hieroglyphs and shapes and do not copy the phonetic value directly." At first, everything seemed to be right, but when I substituted the question, "Does the Declaration predict word boundaries in the first inscriptions I see?" a weak connection was revealed. Hypothesis has to endure the question. If you keep making new coincidences to avoid questions, you will create, not reasoning, from that moment on.

211152212

The results obtained in this section are not confirmed criminals or complete plain texts. Instead, it became clear which explanations required fewer assumptions, and what would flip the ranking if found. Even if the case is not completed, the scope of the investigation can be narrowed. This record is intended to leave that very narrow boundary.

Figure 10. A summary of why a new inscription is needed — Image:

Records and references

· University of Bern — word boundaries in the Byblos syllabary

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· American University of Beirut Press — Byblos inscriptions

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· Mnamon — Byblos writing system

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※ This article is a commentary in the form of personal survey records based on public records and reliable data. I have distinguished between confirmed facts and my reasoning, and I update my judgment when a new official announcement is made. External material images were edited for some color and composition according to the permitted licensing conditions, and each image source was shown in the caption.