Numbers and the alphabet are so commonly used by everyone and play so important a part in our lives that it is somewhat Origin of curious that we should be so little Alphabets concerned about their origin or meaning. Probably most people, if asked where we got our Numbers and alphabet, or why figures are made as they are, or placed in the sequence in which we use them, would say that they did not know and that it made no difference anyway. But neither the names of our Numbers, nor their form and sequence are accidental. They are arranged in a very definite manner which tells a definite, mystical and scientific story. A glance at their history will substantiate this idea, and will serve to indicate their practical influence and their importance to us.