by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com
New archaeological evidence for the events behind Chanukah has just been found, and it will be displayed during Chanukah of 5783.
Chanukah, of course, occurred during the time of the Second Beis HaMikdash approximately in the year 3596/165 B.C.E., when he Seleucid Greeks (or Syrian Greeks) ruled and enacted decrees against Klal Yisrael, outlawing the Jewish religion.
So what was found?
A rare wooden box containing a small hoard of 15 silver coins, dated to the days leading up to the Maccabean Revolt.
The box was found during the excavations that took place during March-May of this past year. It was found in the Muraba‘at Cave in the Darageh Stream Nature Reserve a place that was made famous for being one of Shimon Bar Kochba’s hiding place. Now we know that it was used much earlier too – during the earlier revolt of Chanukah.
The coins will be exhibited to the public over Hannukah in the Hasmonean Museum in Modi‘in, during Israel Heritage Week. It was discovered in a crack in the cave. After the lid was taken off, a layer of earth and small stones was revealed. Below that were the 15 silver coins arranged under a piece of wool.
The stones were silver tetradrachma coins, minted by Ptolemy VI, King of Egypt. Ptolemy VI reigned over Egypt. This was at the same time as his uncle Antiochos IV Epiphanes (“the Wicked”) who reigned over the Seleucids.
The Seleucid Greeks took our money and violated our bnos Yisrael. They entered the Mikdash and desecrated it. They polluted that which was pure and caused Klal Yisrael much anguish. The Greeks placed such stress on Klal Yisrael that Hashem finally had compassion upon us and rescued us. The Chashmona’im, the family of the Kohain Gadol and those who joined them, were victorious in battle against the Greeks and saved Klal Yisrael from their hands.
The Chashmona’im installed a king from among the Kohanim, thereby restoring the monarchy to Klal Yisrael for more than 200 years, until the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash (3829/70 C.E.).
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2 Responses
Hanukah is not how we whopped a bunch of Greeks (which we sometimes call Syrians, since in western countries the Greeks are considered good guys), and of course we don’t mention that most of the people we crushed were the “Misyavanim” (secular Jews) since we don’t see the need to remind them and get them mad at us. Hanukah is not about our military skills and accomplishment as warriors (as those ignorant of the truth, and especially the zionists, like to claim). It is about the miracle of lights working when they shouldn’t work – AND THE “evidence” in the article has nothing to do with what to frum Jews is important about Hanukah.
akuperma:
This was written for maskilim.