The ancient civilization responsible for the development of the alphabet is the Phoenician civilization. Flourishing around 1200 BCE in the region of present-day Lebanon and parts of the Mediterranean, the Phoenicians created one of the earliest known alphabets, consisting of 22 letters. This writing system significantly influenced later alphabets, including Greek and Latin, due to its simplicity and adaptability. The Phoenician alphabet transformed written communication and facilitated trade and cultural exchange across the Mediterranean, making it a cornerstone in the evolution of written language.