Bethlehem Bulla
The earliest mention of Bethlehem outside the Bible, on a tax-shipment seal
Found 2012 — Eli Shukron (Israel Antiquities Authority), City of David excavations; announced May 2012
Where City of David, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) (Israel)
Dates from late 8th–7th century BCE · Iron Age IIB–C · Kingdom of Judah from Chizkiyahu (Hezekiah) to Yoshiyahu (Josiah)
Now at Israel Antiquities Authority
How Bethlehem Bulla was found
Recovered by wet-sifting earth from excavations near the Gihon Spring in the City of David.
What it is
A fragmentary clay bulla 1.5 cm across with three lines of paleo-Hebrew: '[in the] seventh [year] / Bethlehem / [to the ki]ng'. It is a 'fiscal bulla', a type used to seal shipments of produce or silver sent as tax to the king from a named town.
Why it matters for the Bible
Bethlehem is famous as the town of David and, for believers in Yeshua, the birthplace of the Messiah, but until 2012 the name had never been found in an ancient inscription. This seal shows Bethlehem existed as a taxpaying town of Judah in the First Temple period, and that produce was sent from it to Jerusalem under the royal administration.
The Hebrew word: bayt LEH-chem
בֵּית לֶחֶם
בֵּית לֶחֶם is pronounced bayt LEH-chem and means Bethlehem, 'house of bread' (Strong's H1035).
People this discovery connects to
- David — דָּוִד (dah-VEED) — beloved
Places
- Bethlehem — בֵּית לֶחֶם (bayt LEH-chem) — house of bread
Events
Royal taxation of Judean towns
Bethlehem Bulla in Scripture
Genesis 35:19 First mention of Bethlehem in Scripture.
1 Samuel 17:12 David is the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah.
Micah 5:2 Micah, a contemporary of this seal, names Bethlehem Ephrathah as the town from which Israel's ruler will come.
Questions people ask
What is Bethlehem Bulla?
A fragmentary clay bulla 1.5 cm across with three lines of paleo-Hebrew: '[in the] seventh [year] / Bethlehem / [to the ki]ng'. It is a 'fiscal bulla', a type used to seal shipments of produce or silver sent as tax to the king from a named town.
When was Bethlehem Bulla discovered?
It was found in 2012 by Eli Shukron (Israel Antiquities Authority), City of David excavations; announced May 2012, at City of David, Yerushalayim (Jerusalem).
Where is Bethlehem Bulla today?
Israel Antiquities Authority.
Which Bible verses does Bethlehem Bulla relate to?
Genesis 35:19, 1 Samuel 17:12, Micah 5:2.
Related discoveries
- מִלּוֹאStepped Stone StructureA giant stone rampart on the slope of the City of David, perhaps the biblical Millo
- מְצוּדָהLarge Stone Structure ('David's Palace')Massive walls in the City of David that one excavator called David's palace
- מִלּוֹאThe Millo: Where Was It?The Stepped Stone Structure and the Gihon Spring fortifications as rival candidates for the biblical Millo
- צִנּוֹרWarren's ShaftThe vertical shaft above the Gihon once thought to be David's way into Jerusalem
- חוֹתָםGedaliah son of Pashhur BullaSeal of a second official from Jeremiah 38, found beside the Jehucal bulla
- סֹפֵרHouse of Bullae and the Gemariah son of Shaphan BullaFifty-one seal impressions baked hard in the fire of 586 BCE, one naming a scribe from Jeremiah 36
Sources
- Israel Antiquities Authority press release, 23 May 2012
- BAS, 'History of Bethlehem Documented by First Temple Period Bulla from the City of David'