'Very excited': Rare haul of 160 coins from ancient king discovered in Jordan Valley during Hanukkah dig

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...