The first alphabet may be 500 years older than previously thought

"A recent discovery in Syria, however, suggests that the alphabet's origin may date back an additional 500 years, pushing its creation to as early as 2400 BCE."

"Around 1900 B.C., the inhabitants of the Sinai were Semites under Egyptian rule. It is believed that they adapted the Egyptian hieroglyphs to their own language, inventing a consonantal alphabet."

Read at english.elpais.com