Lebanon: Civilisation that gave us the alphabet in ruins

 How did the civilisation that gave the world the first alphabet become a battlefield for other people’s wars and suffer so much death, destruction, misery and wretchedness?

The war between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other is causing horrible death and destruction in the region, including in an unfortunate nation caught in the middle: Lebanon.

This nation, once the centre of the ancient Phoenician civilisation, is in ruins. This cultured nation is bleeding, not because it is defending itself against aggressors but because it has – over the years – become a battlefield for other people’s wars.

As of March 2026, Lebanon is the only nation in the world experiencing economic collapse, a full-scale regional war, and a total loss of sovereignty – all at once.

More than 1,100 people died between March 2 and 25 alone due to the fight between the Israelis and Hezbollah, and about one million have been displaced.

What a tragedy.

I feel very sad. As someone who loves history, I have always been keenly interested in ancient civilisations because much of what we are today – and what we have today – as a species is built upon the foundations laid by these civilisations and the interactions between them.

Although my roots are embedded in Indian/Hindu/Tamil civilisation, I feel an affinity for these other great civilisations and I celebrate them.

How did the civilisation that gave the world the first alphabet come to witness such misery, such wretchedness?

When you write or type something or other, when you read, know that you owe a debt to the Phoenicians.

The Phoenician alphabet of 22 consonant symbols created around 1100 BCE was a revolutionary simplification compared with the complex hieroglyphics and cuneiform of the time. Designed for practical use by merchants, it made literacy accessible beyond the small class of scribes.

The Greeks adopted it around 8 BCE and added vowels to them, creating a true alphabet. This in turn was borrowed by the Etruscans (around 7–6 BCE), and this spread across the Italian peninsula.

The Romans adopted and adapted the Etruscan/Old Italic alphabet into the Latin alphabet between 7–1 BCE. Old English subsequently borrowed from the Latin alphabet and the system evolved into the modern A-Z English.

I’m afraid I may have made the process look simple but it was not. This transfer happened over millennia via cultural contact, trade, colonisation, and literacy needs. Alphabets were borrowed, reshaped for new sounds, and standardised by political/administrative use.

But it started in Phoenicia, which comprised coastal city-states along the eastern Mediterranean with present-day Lebanon at its core. But small sections of today’s Syria and Israel/Palestine were also part of that civilisation. Its major cities – Tyre, Sidon, Byblos – were all in present-day Lebanon.

The Phoenicians were the preeminent seafarers of the ancient Mediterranean, establishing the first truly global maritime trade network. Their exceptional shipbuilding skills allowed them to construct sturdy vessels and fast, manoeuvrable warships using advanced techniques such as mortise-and-tenon joints and waterproof caulking.

For three millennia, this area – Lebanon – was the world’s synthesis point.

But brilliance often brings unwanted attention and soon enough it became a prized province for the Persians, the Romans, the Ottomans, and finally the French. Each left a mark, but each also chipped away at the civilisation’s soul.

In the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, Beirut was known as the “Paris of the Middle East” and Lebanon as the “Switzerland of the East”. I have heard Malaysians talking enthusiastically about the cosmopolitan nature and wealth of Lebanon in my early years.

Beirut was the intellectual heart of the Arab world then. Its cafes were filled with poets and philosophers; its banks held the region’s wealth; and its coastline was a playground for the international “jet set”.

This period was called Beirut’s Golden Age.

Beirut became a magnet for the world’s elite, attracting movie stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, Marlon Brando and Louis Armstrong.

Those who read books or have an interest in Philosophy or poetry cannot but remember Kahlil Gibran whenever Lebanon is mentioned. Widely regarded as one of the greatest poets and thinkers of the 20th century, Gibran gained international acclaim for works such as “The Prophet”. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you do. You will marvel at his artwork too.

Mikhail Naimy is another Lebanese author, poet, and philosopher that you may be interested in reading. His “The Book of Mirdad,” a spiritual allegory, is a classic of Lebanese literature.

Lebanon also became known for its pluralism and cosmopolitan outlook.

But everything began to unravel during the fifteen-year civil war (1975–1990). Though the war ended, Lebanon did not return to its earlier glory; it slid down the path of decay, especially after Israel and Iran-funded Hezbollah began fighting each other on Lebanese soil.

Hope dawned in 2025 under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam but the conflict that was ignited on Feb 28, 2026 following U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, has turned Lebanon into hell as Israel and Hezbollah fight it out, regardless of what the local population wants.

The government is unable to stop both Hezbollah’s rockets, fired from its soil, and the Israeli invasion.

The human and economic cost is simply devastating. What a monumental tragedy for a civilisation that gave us – albeit indirectly – the alphabet I’m using right now to convey my thoughts to you. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.