The Maya letter b is shaped thus, ### . Now, if we turn to the
Phoenician, we find that b is represented by the same crescent-like
figure which we find in the middle of this hieroglyph, but reversed in
the direction of the writing, thus, ### ; while in the archaic Hebrew we
have the same crescent figure as in the Maya, turned in the same
direction, but accompanied by a line drawn downward, and to the left,
thus, ### ; a similar form is also found in the Phoenician ### , and
this in the earliest Greek changed into ### , and in the later Greek
into B. One of the Etruscan signs for b was ### , while the Pelasgian b
was represented thus, ### ; the Chaldaic b was ### ; the Syriac sign for
b was ### ; the Illyrian b was ### .
The Maya e is ### ; this became in time ### ; then ### (we see this form
on the Maya monuments); the dots in time were indicated by strokes, and
we reach the hieratic Egyptian form, ### : we even find in some of the
ancient Phoenician inscriptions the original Maya circles preserved in
making the letter e, thus, ### ; then we find the old Greek form, ### ;
the old Hebrew, ### ; and the later Phoenician, ### : when the direction
of the writing was changed this became ### .
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