The oldest sentence in history – a warning of beard lice – was discovered almost 4,000 years ago

The oldest written sentence in the oldest known alphabet was discovered – engraved in an ivory comb warning of head lice.

The comb – which is estimated to be 3,700 years old – was discovered in an archaeological dig in Israel, according to a new study published Wednesday.

“I hope this tusk kills hair and beard lice,” the experts said. In the Jerusalem Journal of Archeology.

Microscopic evidence of lice was found in the remaining comb bristles.

The comb was excavated in 2016 at the site of Tel Lachish, about 25 miles outside of Jerusalem — but a researcher at the Israel Hebrew University only discovered the inscription late last year, according to the report.

Previous discoveries of Canaanite writing consisted of a few letters or a single word – but this is the first time researchers have found a complete sentence.

“It’s a very human text,” said Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University, the study’s lead author.

“It shows us that people haven’t really changed, and lice haven’t really changed,” Garfinkel told The Associated Press.

The discovery also showed that “even in the earliest stages there were complete sentences” using the Canaanite alphabet, he said.

Carbon dating has not been able to verify the age of the ancient comb that scholars assume was imported, because the ivory-tusked elephant was not native to this area.

According to the study, the tiny comb – about 1.5 inches wide – has worn out most of its teeth over thousands of years, but six teeth on one side were likely used to detangle hair and the 14 finer teeth are used to target organisms and their eggs.

The Canaanite writing systems predated Mesopotamia and Egypt but relied on symbols rather than the alphabet, an expert in Semitic languages He told the Guardian newspaper.

Christopher Rolston of George Washington University said Canaanite was the basis of ancient Greek and Latin – and thus many modern European languages.

“Throughout human history, lice have been a chronic problem,” he told the Guardian. “And this inscription well reveals that even the rich and famous of antiquity were not exempt from such troubles.”

with wire