A rare collection of ancient coins was discovered last week by Israeli researchers, who called the discovery a “Hanukkah archaeological miracle.”
The coins are more than 2,000 years old and believed to belong to King Alexander Janneus, the second ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty that presided over Judea in the final centuries before the Common Era, according to the University of Haifa in Israel.
Archaeologists have discovered a hoard of around 160 coins during ongoing excavations in the Jordan Valley, which stretches between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan’s eastern border. The project is led by researchers from the University of Haifa and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, the university said in a press release translated from Hebrew.
The ancient coins were discovered Friday, coinciding with the third day of Hanukkah. Scholars have noted the significance of this moment, since Alexander Janneus was descended from the leaders of a revolt in 167 BCE that, according to the Talmud, led to the restoration of the Jerusalem temple and the first celebration of the holiday of Hanukkah.
University of Haifa
Each coin bears inscriptions including an eight-pointed star and the phrase “King Alexander 25” written in Aramaic, one of the world’s oldest known languages, originating in the region around present-day Syria and closely related to the Arabic and Hebrew. These types of coins date back to around 80 BCE, according to the University of Haifa.
“The site where the treasure was discovered is apparently a step that has not been recognized by research until now,” Shai Bar, one of the leaders of the excavation, said in a statement to the university. Bar said the station included a purification bath, used for religious rituals, and a water storage area in addition to other buildings. It is located along a main road leading to the Alexandrion Fortress, built on top of a mountain in the Jordan Valley by Alexander Janneus.
University of Haifa
Bar told the university that students and volunteers participated in the excavation that uncovered the monarch’s ancient coins. He said they were especially excited to discover this treasure this Hanukkah.
“It added special meaning to the holiday for them, including in the difficult days our people are going through now,” Bar said. “I hope the venue will become a crowd-pulling site, adding to our country’s archaeological and heritage sites.”
Hanukkah began on December 25 this year and will last for eight days, ending this Thursday, January 2.