Cuneiform times of Parthian Empire (250 BC – AD 226). The last known cuneiform inscription, an astronomical text, was written in 75 AD. The complexity of the system prompted the development of a number of simplified versions of the script. Old Persian was written in a subset of simplified cuneiform characters known today as Old Persian cuneiform. It formed a semi-alphabetic syllabary, using far fewer wedge strokes than Assyrian used, together with a handful of logograms for frequently occurring words like "god" and "king". Ugaritic was written using the Ugaritic alphabet, a standard Semitic style alphabet (an "abjad") written using the
Ib (cuneiform) Ib (cuneiform) The cuneiform sign ib, (or ip) is a common-use sign in the "Epic of Gilgamesh", the Amarna letters, and other cuneiform texts. Its common usage is syllabic for "ib" (or "ip"), or alphabetic for "i" or "b"/"p"; the "i" is also exchanged for "e" when spelling specific words in the Akkadian language. Cuneiform "ib" also can be found as sumerogram "URTA", (a capital letter (majuscule)), and for example it is used in the "Epic of Gilgamesh" for the god's name: Ninurta, spelled NIN.URTA. Cuneiform "ib" has other sub-uses in the "Epic of Gilgamesh". The following can be found: