‘This gave the holiday an added sense of significance, especially during this difficult time for the Jewish people’
JERUSALEM – Researchers at University of Haifa’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology uncovered a rare hoard of some 160 coins, which belonged to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty, during a dig that took place during the Hanukkah season.
Alexander Jannaeus, whose Hebrew name was Jonathan, ruled over the kingdom of Judea from 103 to 76 B.C.
A descendent of Jewish royalty, King Jannaeus was the son of John Hyrcanus and grandson of Simon the Hasmonean, the brother of Judah Maccabee, and great grandson of Mattathias who led the revolt against the armies of Antiochus.