Did you know...?

The letter -Bb in English [Greek: beta/Hebrew: beth] was, initially, more of a square with an open corner and a dot in the middle. The opening, maybe obviously, was a door. And what do you think the dot represented? If you're thinking a fireplace or hearth you are correct.

Just as with the alpha character, due to most literate people being right-handed (and again, a little lazy) the first element of the symbol to change was the disappearance of the dot. Next, the figure begins to slant off to the right and the "walls" collapse inward.