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Israeli Archaeologists Discover Oldest Known Artifact Identifying Jesus’ Birthplace

May 23, 2012 2:42 pm 1 comment

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A newlydiscovered seal bearing the name “Bethlehem” in ancient Hebrew script. Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority.

Washington Post/AP – Israeli archaeologists have discovered a 2,700-year-old seal that bears the inscription “Bethlehem,” the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday, in what experts believe to be the oldest artifact with the name of Jesus’ traditional birthplace.

The tiny clay seal’s existence and age provide vivid evidence that Bethlehem was not just the name of a fabled biblical town, but also a bustling place of trade linked to the nearby city of Jerusalem, archaeologists said.

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1 Comment

A REAL American

May 24, 2012
12:25 pm

This artifact doesn’t identify the birthplace of a particular person–it merely list the name of an ancient Jewish city.

BTW–Bethlehem is really BEIT LECHEM–translated into English as the house of bread. Which can probably be interpreted to mean this was a commercial center which harvested and milled grain and baked bread.

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