Festival of archaeology? Five ways to explore Hanukkah history in Jerusalem |
Hanukkah, which begins on Sunday night, is a great holiday for those who like to immerse themselves in the tangible remains of Jewish history.
Since the Maccabees’ revolt against the Greek Seleucids occurred relatively recently in archaeological terms — in 164 BCE — and marked the beginning of the Hasmonean dynasty that ruled Israel (albeit amid civil wars and constant external threats) for over a century, artifacts and remains tied to Hanukkah’s history abound across Israel.
For antiquities enthusiasts, many of them can be seen in Jerusalem during the festival of lights.
Some three decades after the Hanukkah story, Jerusalem was attacked by another Greek king. Antiochus VII Sidetes, a descendant of the Maccabees’ foe Antiochus IV Epiphanes, laid siege to the city, and perhaps nowhere has the evidence of that violent confrontation survived to this day as vividly as in the compound of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum, devoted to showcasing the history of the city.
The courtyard of the building incorporates walls and structures built at different periods in Jerusalem’s history, including sections of the Hasmonean wall, which researchers believe was built around 140 BCE. Even more strikingly, over the decades, during archaeological excavations in the area, archaeologists found hundreds of catapult balls, arrowheads, and sling shots used by the Greeks during the siege, which are part of the museum’s permanent exhibition.
Many arrowheads bear the Greek letters Beta and Sigma (the equivalents of the Latin letters B and S). While the exact meaning of the letters remains a mystery, experts believe they might have been a symbol of an elite force deployed against Jerusalem (spoiler: in the end, Hasmonean leader John Hyrcanus I managed to strike a deal with Antiochus and saved the city).
An even more impressive section of the Hasmonean wall has recently been exposed during archaeological excavations in preparation for the future Schulich Wing for Archaeology, Art, and Innovation in another area of the compound. In about two years, visitors will be able to see graffiti........