Israeli police on Sunday uncovered dozens of archaeological items — some thousands of years old — at an East Jerusalem.
The artifacts were uncovered by Jerusalem District detectives during a search of the home of the man in his 30s.
The items were examined by officials of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the suspect was arrested and taken in for questioning.
According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, among the items seized were a coin dating from the time of the last Hasmonean king Antigonus II Mattathias in the first century BCE with an embossment of the Temple Menorah, a seal ring from the biblical period with an ancient Hebrew inscription, and an oil candle from the Hasmonean period.
Following Antigonus' reign, the Hasmonean Kingdom was turned into the client state of Judea under the Roman Republic, which put Herod on the throne.
The investigation is being conducted by the police in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Citizens committing antiquities-related offenses can face up to five years in prison under Israeli law.
The discovery of these Hasmonean-era artifacts comes just before the last night of Hanukkah, a holiday that celebrates the Hasmoneans' victory over the Seleucid Empire and the subsequent establishment of an independent Jewish polity in the land.