Israeli archaeologists believe they may have unearthed a tomb belonging to the biblical Maccabees — coming one step closer to solving the centuries-old puzzle of the rebels’ final resting place.

Israel’s government Antiquities Authority announced Monday that an excavation begun earlier this month appears to match accounts of the tomb.

Scholars in the region agree the spot — located on the side of a highway west of Jerusalem and near the West Bank — is a significant burial site. However, they aren’t ready to weigh in until more research is done.

Yet the Antiquities Authority needs more funding to continue its research.

“We still don’t have the smoking gun,” said Amit Reem, a government archaeologist who helped lead the dig.

The site was first excavated in the late 1800s by a French scholar, but was then abandoned until this month.

Reem says that for the past decade, locating the tomb has been his personal holy grail.

“It (is) crucial for everybody … to solve once and for all this riddle,” he said.

The Maccabees are considered heroes in both Judaism and Christianity, commemorated for revolting against the Greek rulers who banned Jewish practices. They are celebrated every year at Hanukkah.