A rare collection of ancient coins was discovered last week by Israeli researchers, who called the find an “archaeological miracle for Hanukkah.”
The letters are more than 2,000 years old and are believed to belong to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty who ruled Judea in the last centuries leading up to the common era, according to the University of Haifa in Israel.
Archaeologists found a hoard of about 160 coins during ongoing excavations in the Jordan Valley, which lies between the Israeli-controlled 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 unearthed on Friday, which coincides with the third day of Hanukkah. Researchers note the importance of that period, as Alexander Jannaeus was among the leaders of the revolt in 167 BCE that the Talmud says led to the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem and the first celebration of the Hanukkah holiday.
University of Haifa
Each coin features inscriptions including an eight-pointed star and the phrase “King Alexander 25” written in Aramaic, one of the world's oldest known languages that originated in the area around what is now Syria and is closely related to Arabic and Hebrew. These types of coins date from around 80 BCE, according to the University of Haifa.
“The place where the treasure was found, apparently, belongs to the channel, which has not been noticed in the research until now,” said Shai Bar, one of the leaders of the excavation, in a statement sent to the university. Bar said the station includes a purification bath, used for religious rituals, and a water storage area in addition to other buildings. It is located near the main road leading to the fortress of Alexandrion, built on a hill in the Jordan Valley by Alexander Jannaeus.
University of Haifa
Bar told the university that students and volunteers were involved in the dig that unearthed the king's ancient coins. He said they were very happy to find the trove during Hanukkah.
“This has a special meaning in this holiday for them, including the difficult days that our people are facing right now,” said Bar. “I hope this place will be a crowd-puller, and will add to the archaeological sites and heritage of our country.”
Hanukkah began on December 25 this year and is observed over eight days, ending this Thursday, Jan. 2.
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