Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity Yields Ancient Baptismal Font

BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK—According to a Live Science report, conservators working in the Church of the Nativity, an ancient Christian church thought to mark the site of the birthplace of Jesus, have discovered a small baptismal font within a larger one dated to the sixth or seventh century A.D. Ziad al-Bandak, head of the Restoration Commission for the Church of the Nativity, said the stone of the smaller font appears to be made of the same sort of stone as the church’s columns, and so may date to the construction of the church in the early fourth century A.D. Further study of the font is being planned. To read about the search for additional fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls, go to “Scroll Search.”