And of course all modern linguistic analysis began with J.F. Champollion and the Rosetta Stone. We stand on the shoulders of giants.
(I'm rather like Epimetheus in The Water Babies; I'm always looking backward. Kingsley thought Epimetheus was more important than Prometheus, and I do too.)
Phoop on Hellenism. Up the Maccabees! Armed Jews Rule!
I have to disagree with you, Greek culture was the foundation of the Hellenistic civilization although under the Ptolemies there were influences from Egypt. Egyptian influences were probably stronger in the archaic Greek world as seen in the pre-classical artwork of Greece.
Hellenistic Egypt under the Ptolemies had more of a direct influence on Western Civilization as it was directly involved with and became a province of Rome. Anciient Egypt's impact on the Near East however is undeniable.
Understanding the position held by Serbia from medieval times onward can provide an insight into the current clash of cultures between the Western World and Islam. Also, understanding the later Turkish occupation of the Balkans and parts of Eastern Europe will provide insight into the later antipathy between groups in that region.