But if it makes you feel any better, the facial hair problems of the past sound a lot worse. In a remarkable discovery, researchers have translated the first sentence ever written in the ancient language of the Canaanites, the people of the lands believed to include parts of Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Dating to around 1700 BC, the inscription on a small ivory comb reads: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and beard!” The team that found it in Tel Lachish in Israel say it’s a spell to get rid of beard lice. “This is the first sentence ever found in the Canaanite language in Israel,” said Professor Yosef Garfinkel, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “This is a milestone in the history of the human ability to write,” he added. Evidence of how the alphabet was used 3,700 years ago Professor Garfinkel and his team, including colleagues from Southern Adventist University in the US, say the comb comes from a tusk elephant. While excavated in 2017, the engraving was so shallow that it was only noticed during post-processing earlier this year and was deciphered by Semitic epigrapher Dr Daniel Vainstub. The inscription consists of 17 Canaanite letters and seven words. “There are Canaanites at Ugarit in Syria, but they write in a different script, not the alphabet that is still used today,” Professor Garfinkel explained. “Canaanite cities are mentioned in Egyptian documents, in the Amarna letters written in Akkadian and in the Hebrew Bible. “The comb inscription is direct evidence for the use of the alphabet in everyday activities about 3,700 years ago.” Image: Aerial view of Tel Lachish, where the comb was discovered. Photo: Emil Aladjem Is there anything known about the comb itself? The comb is only 3.5 cm by 2.5 cm, and has teeth on both sides. While the teeth themselves are broken, their bases are still visible and the central part is quite eroded – probably due to the pressure of the fingers holding it during treatment. Given its material, it was probably an imported luxury item – possibly from Egypt. As parents of young children may well notice, its design is not unlike the fine-toothed combs used today to treat lice and nits. Using a microscope, the researchers took high-resolution photos of the comb and actually found some remains of lice still present. They say that, given the supposed origin of the comb, it is a sign that lice were even a problem among the upper classes of society. Image: Close-up of some comb inscription. Photo: Dafna Gazit, Israel Antiquities Authority Lachish was an important city-state of the Canaanites and the second most important city in Judah, the biblical kingdom. To date, 10 Canaanite inscriptions have been found at Lachish, more than any other site in Israel – but so far never with a complete sentence.
