Alexander Jannaeus

The Qumran calendar was actually used – until the seasons got out of sync

The Qumran calendar was actually used – until the seasons got out of sync

Research by Prof. Ashbel Ratzon suggests that the 364-day calendar described in the Judean Desert Scrolls was not just a theoretical idea. According to her, the community used it in its early days, but abandoned it after the deviation
Coins of Alexander Yanai. Photo: Haifa University

A rare hoard including 160 coins of King Alexander the Great was discovered in the Jordan Valley

This cache is also one of the largest of its kind discovered in the Land of Israel. The discovery happened in the last few days during the Hanukkah holiday, which marks the Hasmonean rebellion in the Greeks