This is a classic case of twisting archaeology to support a political agenda (just in case you thought Climategate was the first time science was prostituted for politics).

Now, setting aside the likelihood that this pottery shard is yet another in a long line of biblical/archaeological forgeries for which Israel has become notorious, all that has actually been found is the shard with some Hebrew on it.

Nobody has found a part of the Old Testament written in Hebrew from that time period. Making the leap from a sample of the language to assuming the Old Testament was written at that time is like saying that because English is known to have existed in the time of Shakespeare that we can guess that is when the Declaration of Independence was created!

But the government of Israel has a vested interest in any support for the idea that Hebrews are the original inhabitants of that land (even though the majority Ashkenazi are actually descended from the Khazars). A perpetual thorn in the side of the "original occupant" argument used to dispossess the Palestinians of their homes is that other peoples, such as the Philistines and Hittites, predate the presence of Hebrews in that region. So, the earlier Hebrews can be "factually" documented, the better for Israel's claims to the land.

All this artifact (if genuine, and you can count the number of genuine artifacts from the time of King David on the fingers of a very clumsy butcher) proves is that Hebrew was a viable language in use at the time, which was already known. It does not confirm anything about the Bible. For that matter it does not confirm that there was a kingdom of Israel present at the time.

The fact is that the majority of the Old Testament deals with Judean history AFTER the Assyrian invasion, i.e. the 10th century. Stories of earlier times, like the story of Noah and the Flood, are simply copied from other texts such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. The tale of Moses trip down the Nile in a basket is lifted from the Mesopotamian legends of King Sargon I as an infant.

If there is one thing that Climategate taught us all, it is that politicians will use science to further their ends. As this attempt to use a pottery shard to claim an earlier authorship date for the Old Testament proves, such practices are not confined to Al Gore.