Ancient coins thought to belong to King Alexander Jannaeus. University of Haifa

A rare collection of ancient coins was discovered last week by Israeli researchers, who called the find an "archaeological Hanukkah miracle."

The coins are more than 2,000 years old and believed to belong to King Alexander Jannaeus, the second ruler of the Hasmonean dynasty that presided over Judea in the final centuries leading up to the common era, according to the University of Haifa in Israel.

Archaeologists found the hoard of about 160 of the coins during ongoing excavations in the Jordan Valley, which runs between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the eastern border of Jordan. The project is headed by researchers at the University of Haifa and the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, the university said in a news release translated from Hebrew.

The ancient coins were unearthed Friday, coinciding with the third day of Hanukkah. Researchers noted the significance of that timing, since Alexander Jannaeus descended from leaders of a revolt in 167 B.C.E. that the Talmud says led to the restoration of the temple in Jerusalem and the first celebration of the Hanukkah holiday.

Each coin bears inscriptions that include 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 region around what's now Syria and is closely related to both Arabic and Hebrew. These types of coins date back to about 80 B.C.E., according to the University of Haifa.

"The site where the treasure was discovered is, apparently, a way station, which had not been recognized in research until now," said Shai Bar, one of the leaders of the excavation, in a statement to the university. Bar said the station included a purification bath, used for religious ritual, and a water storage area in addition to other buildings. It's located along a main road leading to the Alexandrion fortress, built atop a mountain in the Jordan Valley by Alexander Jannaeus.

Bar told the university that students and volunteers were involved in the dig that uncovered the monarch's ancient coins. He said they were particularly excited to find the trove during Hanukkah.

"This added special meaning to the holiday for them, including in the difficult days our people are going through at the moment," Bar said. "I hope that the place will become a site that attracts a crowd, and will be added to the archaeological and heritage sites of our country."

Hanukkah began Dec. 25 this year and is observed over the course of eight days, ending this Thursday, Jan. 2.


The coins were discovered during an excavation project in the Jordan Valley. University of Haifa

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