Ancient Civilizations2,700 year-old Hebrew clay inscription found in Jerusalem reveals first mention of Bethlehem outside the Bible Posted on January 19, 2026 by Administrator A tiny clay shard found in the City of David excavation site contains the first mention of Bethlehem, aside from the Bible itself, and it is written in Hebrew script. Israeli archaeologist Eli Shukron announced in a statement, “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.”
