Final answer:
The Phoenicians developed the first alphabet to simplify record-keeping and widen literacy beyond a specialized scribal class, unlike the complex cuneiform, which contributed to their commercial success and influenced future writing systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the period around 1100 BCE, the need for an efficient record-keeping system was imperative for the Phoenicians, leading to the invention of the world's first known alphabet. Unlike the complex cuneiform writing system used by the Mesopotamians, the Phoenician alphabet was relatively simple and involved symbols that represented consonant sounds. This made literacy more accessible to the general population, eliminating the sole reliance on a specialized scribal class. Consequently, more people in the Phoenician society, including merchants, could easily learn to read and write, which played a significant role in their commercial success. The Phoenician writing system later heavily influenced other cultures, including the Aramaean peoples, the Israelites, and particularly the Greeks, who adapted the Phoenician alphabet for their language, which would ultimately evolve into the Roman alphabet used in many European languages today.