Archaeologists from the Department of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa say they've  deciphered the earliest known Hebrew writing in existence, an inscription dating from the 10th century BCE (the period of King David's reign). The discovery is significant because it means the Bible may be several centuries older than current estimates suggest, researchers say.

"It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current
research," says Prof. Gershon Galil of the University of Haifa who deciphered the inscription.

Writing in the January 8 issue of Science, a group of environmental scientists is calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to stay all new mountaintop mining permits. They argue that peer-reviewed research unequivocally documents irreversible environmental impacts from this form of mining, which also exposes local residents to a higher risk of serious health problems.