Square Hebrew Script

Aramaic/Square Hebrew script becomes dominant

During the Persian and early Second Temple periods, Jews gradually shifted from Paleo-Hebrew script to the square Aramaic-style script. This script eventually became the standard Hebrew alphabet still used today.

This is one of the most important turning points in the visual history of Hebrew. The letters used in modern Hebrew, Torah scrolls, prayer books, and printed Jewish texts descend from this Second Temple-period script tradition.