Archaeologists claim to have discovered the Cave of Salome, the midwife who delivered Jesus Christ, as they came across the carving in ancient Greek and Arabic: "Salome, who was Mary's midwife."

The Book of James, among early Christian writings called the Apochrypha and is not included in the Bible, describes Salome as doubting the account of the virgin birth. Stricken in one arm, she cradles the baby, proclaims him "a great king ... born unto Israel" and is cured.

Work to prepare the 2,000-year-old cave for public access unearthed a 350-square-meter (3,767-square-foot) forecourt whose stone slabs and mosaic floors are consistent with a family tomb for prominent Jews, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said.

Also found were inscriptions – some in Arabic – and decorated oil lamps consistent with the site having served Christian pilgrims, including through to the ninth century after the Muslim conquest of the region, the IAA said.

The site, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) southwest of Bethlehem, has been known for generations as the Cave of Salome.

Earlier excavations located Jewish relics "but the surprise was the adaptation of the cave into a Christian chapel," the IAA said. "Judging by the crosses and the dozens of inscriptions engraved on the cave walls in the Byzantine and early Islamic periods, the chapel was dedicated to the sacred Salome."