The remains of a fortress destroyed by the Hasmonean rebels during the Maccabean revolt, Lachish Forest, Israel. Photo: Twitter.

i24 News – A fortress from the Hellenistic period, destroyed and set on fire by the Hasmonean rebels, was unearthed during excavations carried out by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

The ruins were discovered in Israel’s Lachish Forest, located in the southern part of the country, broadcaster Kan reported.

“The excavation site provides tangible evidence of the Hanukkah stories,” Saar Ganor, Vladik Lifshits and Ahinoam Montagu, excavation directors representing the IAA, explained, according to the Jerusalem Post.

“It appears that we have discovered a building that was part of a fortified line erected by the Hellenistic army commanders to protect the large Hellenistic city of Maresha from a Hasmonean offensive,” the specialists said, according to Israel National News.

“However, the finds from the site show that the Seleucid defenses were unsuccessful; the excavated building was badly burnt and devastated by the Hasmoneans.”

Weapons, burnt wooden beams and dozens of coins were also found.

The structure measures 15 meters by 15 meters, and the outer walls, which are no less than three meters wide, were built with large stones.

Inside, the fortified building is divided into seven rooms, which stand at a height of two meters. The remains of a staircase have also been discovered.

The Maccabean revolt led to the capture of Jerusalem, the reestablishment of Jewish worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Hasmonean dynasty that ruled Judea.

The rededication of Jewish ritual inside the Temple, the most sacred place in Judaism, is commemorated by the holiday of Hanukkah.