The Israel Antiquities Authority revealed Wednesday what it is calling the earliest archaeological evidence of the city of Bethlehem.

Archaeologists have discovered a bulla – or piece of clay used to seal documents and other objects – that is only about half of an inch across and has the word "Bethlehem" written on it in ancient Hebrew.

"This is the first time the name Bethlehem appears outside the Bible, in an inscription from the First Temple period, which proves that Bethlehem was indeed a city in the Kingdom of Judah, and possibly also in earlier periods," said Eli Shukron, director of the excavation, in a statement. more >>

An archaeologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem says he has discovered cultic shrines dating back to the time of the biblical King David, which may provide clarity to some obscure building references in the Bible.

Professor Yosef Garfinkel says his discoveries at Khirbet Qeiyafa, an ancient fortified city that is 30 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem and is adjacent to the Valley of Elah, have confirmed the biblical view of the region prior to the construction of Solomon's Temple.

"This is the first time that archaeologists uncovered a fortified city in Judah from the time of King David," Garfinkel said in a press release. "Even in Jerusalem we do not have a clear fortified city from his period. Thus, various suggestions that completely deny the biblical tradition regarding King David and argue that he was a mythological figure, or just a leader of a small tribe, are now shown to be wrong." more >>

What should Christians make of "cavemen" fossils in light of Scripture? That is the question two Christian apologists tackle in a recent magazine article published by Answers in Genesis, an apologetics ministry founded by Ken Ham.

The apologists featured in the Answers magazine article, David Menton and John UpChurch, explore the "often misunderstood and confusing" topic of cavemen, addressing questions like: Were they our primitive brutish ancestors? Did Adam and Eve really exist? The men address the ongoing debate about whether Christians should believe in the biblical account of creation without question, or whether they should explore how the account can be scientifically supported.

"Variation among post-Babel humans has led to a great debate among evolutionists, who wonder where they fit on the roadway to being 'truly human.' But that way of thinking misses the fundamental truth. When God created humans, He didn't define our humanness in terms of physical characteristics. We aren't human because we have two arms or legs or skulls of a certain shape or size. Our Creator, who is spirit, made us in His spiritual image," the authors write in the article. more >>

The controversy surrounding the Jesus Tomb discovery in Jerusalem continues as scholars and archeologists argue over a 2,000-year-old "Jonah Whale" engraving which some say represents the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Other scholars suggest, however, that the team behind the discovery has been deceiving the public.

Led by filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici, an archeological team including biblical historian James Tabor, professor and chair of religious studies at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, used a robotic arm and camera in 2010 to chart through a 1st century CE Jerusalem tomb they say contains the bones of Christ, his family and some of his disciples.

The findings were released in the book The Jesus Discovery: The New Archaeological Find that Reveals the Birth of Christianity. The tomb allegedly contains ossuaries with inscriptions containing the names of the holy family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, next to each other. Jacobovici and Tabor said that it was unlikely such a sequence of names was coincidental, but others have insisted those names were common at the time and might indeed be purely coincidental. more >>

Mystery continues to surround an ancient burial box that is inscribed with the words, "James son of Joseph, brother of Jesus," after a Jerusalem court found Oded Golan, a private collector of antiquities, not guilty of forging the inscription.

The court said the 2000-year-old box will probably "continue to be investigated in the archaeological and scientific arena, and time will tell," according to a report from Reuters. The court's decision puts an end to a legal battle that began in 2004 when Golan was indicted.

"I am glad that I was found innocent of all the very serious allegations that I had to face during the last seven years," Golan told Reuters after he was acquitted by Judge Aharon Farkash of the Jerusalem District Court. Though he was acquitted of forgery charges, he was found guilty of other charges relating to antiquities law. more >>

A motion has finally established a Canadian Parliamentary Committee to study Canada's 400 year old definition of a human being. Canadian Parliament officially declared Motion 312 votable in the House of Commons. It was tabled last month by MP Stephen Woodworth who wanted parliament to examine the archaic law in light of modern medical science. Woodworth is urging Canadians to voice their concerns to their MP's and hopes fellow MP's will support the motion.

U.S. President Obama welcomed British Prime Minister David Cameron to the White House in a lavish ceremony yesterday. He discussed the unity of both countries in Defense

Mega-star actor George Clooney came to testify to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the brutality along the border between Sudan and South Sudan. Clooney is a dedicated human rights advocate. He just returned from Sudan after personally viewing the destruction caused by the Sudan military's bombing at the border more >>