Ancient archaeological artifacts thousands of years old, including a coin from the Hasmonean era, were discovered by police in east Jerusalem on Sunday, the last day of Hanukkah.
The artifacts were discovered in a search of the home of an east Jerusalem resident in his 30s. The items were examined by officials of the Antiquities Authority (IAA), and the suspect was arrested and taken in for questioning.
Among the artifacts were a coin dated back to the time of Antigonus II Mattathias, the last Hasmonean king, as well as a Hasmonean-era oil candle and a biblical-era seal ring with ancient Hebrew inscriptions.
The discovery of the Hasmonean-era artifacts came just before the last night of Hanukkah, a holiday celebrating the Hasmoneans’ victory over the Seleucid Empire and the subsequent establishment of independent Jewish rulership of the land.
