Hanukkah or “The Festival of Lights” is an important Jewish holiday celebrated every year. It celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem by the Maccabees in the 2nd Century BC and honors the miraculous 8-day supply of oil that burned in the Temple menorah, allowing the celebration to take place. Many people are curious about the connection between Hanukkah and the Bible.
The story of Hanukkah does appear in the Bible, specifically in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees. These books do not appear in all Christian Bibles, but are included in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles.
The story begins with Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a ruler of the Seleucid Empire, which was in control of the region during the time of the Maccabean revolt. Antiochus IV Epiphanes issued decrees that outlawed Jewish religious practices and installed an altar dedicated to Zeus into the Temple. In response, the Maccabees led a revolt against the Seleucid Empire and defeated them in 165 BC.
Upon reclaiming the Temple, they found what they expected to be enough oil to light the menorah for only one day, but the oil burned for eight days, and the miracle of the oil was celebrated as Hanukkah.
1 Maccabees gives the history of the Greeks, mostly Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and the victory of the Maccabees over them. It mentions the rededication of the Temple and says that when the Temple was purified, new vessels were made to replace those the Greeks had defiled.
2 Maccabees also narrates the story of the Maccabees winning the war and rededicating the Temple. It also notes the miracle of the eight-day supply of oil. It also includes a prayer commonly recited during Torah services, which future Jews commemorate at Hanukkah services.
The story of the Maccabees is a story of religious freedom, and this is why it is significant to the celebration of Hanukkah. The miracle of the oil carried out by God symbolizes the freedom the Jews had from the oppression of the Greeks.
In conclusion, while the story of Hanukkah does not appear in the Hebrew Bible, it does appear in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles in the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees. These books tell the story of the Maccabees’ fight for religious freedom over the Greeks and recounts the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days in the Temple menorah. It is a significant story of religious freedom that is commemorated every year in the holiday of Hanukkah.
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Last update 2023-11-27. Price and product availability may change.