Timeline of how Hanukkah Came to Be

Alexander the Great rule over all the land

1 Maccabees 1:1-4

• Now it came to pass, after that Alexander the son of Philip the Macedonian, who first reigned in Greece, coming out of the land of Cethim, had overthrown Darius king of the Persians and Medes:
• He fought many battles, and took the strong holds of all, and slew the kings of the earth:
• And he went through even to the ends of the earth, and took the spoils of many nations: and the earth was quiet before him.
•  And he gathered a power, and a very strong army: and his heart was exalted and lifted up.
  • After defeating the Persians, Alexander the Great reached the Indian Ocean.

Alexander the Great Dies

1 Maccabees 1:5-9

• And he subdued countries of nations, and princes: and they became tributaries to him.
• And after these things, he fell down upon his bed, and knew that he should die.
• And he called his servants the nobles that were brought up with him from his youth: and he divided his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive.
• And Alexander reigned twelve years, and he died.
• And his servants made themselves kings every one in his place
  • Twelfth year: 334 B.C.

Antiochus Epiphanes, Renegade Jews, and Hellenism

1 Maccabees 1:10

• And they all put crowns upon themselves after his death, and their sons after them many years, and evils were multiplied in the earth.
  • The year 137 of the Seleucid era corresponds to 175 B.C.

1 Maccabees 1:11-15

• And there came out of them a wicked root, Antiochus the Illustrious, the son of king Antiochus, who had been a hostage at Rome: and he reigned in the hundred and thirty-seventh year of the kingdom of the Greeks.
•  In those days there went out of Israel wicked men, and they persuaded many, saying: Let us go, and make a covenant with the heathens that are round about us: for since we departed from them, many evils have befallen us.
• And the word seemed good in their eyes.
• And some of the people determined to do this, and went to the king: and he gave them license to do after the ordinances of the heathens.
• And they built a place of exercise in Jerusalem, according to the laws of the nations:
  • In order to unify his kingdom, the new monarch Antiochus IV Epiphanes imposed Greek customs everywhere. These were contradictory to the Jewish religious requirements, which were made precise from the end of the Exile. Nonetheless, the king could rely—especially at Jerusalem—on a current of opportunists favorable to Hellenism because of ambition or a desire for cultural integration: the clan of Jason whose members are termed renegades.

Antiochus in Egypt

1 Maccabees 1:16-19

• And they made themselves prepuces, and departed from the holy covenant, and joined themselves to the heathens, and were sold to do evil.
• And the kingdom was established before Antiochus, and he had a mind to reign over the land of Egypt, that he might reign over two kingdoms.
•  And he entered into Egypt with a great multitude, with chariots and elephants, and horsemen, and a great number of ships:
• And he made war against Ptolemee king of Egypt, but Ptolemee was afraid at his presence, and fled, and many were wounded unto death.

The Temple is Destroyed

1 Maccabees 1:20-28

•  And he took the strong cities in the land of Egypt: and he took the spoils of the land of Egypt.
• And after Antiochus had ravaged Egypt in the hundred and forty-third year, he returned and went up against Israel.
•  And he went up to Jerusalem with a great multitude.
•  And he proudly entered into the sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, and the candlestick of light, and all the vessels thereof, and the table of proposition, and the pouring vessels, and the vials, and the little mortars of gold, and the veil, and the crowns, and the golden ornament that was before the temple: and he broke them all in pieces.
•  And he took the silver and gold, and the precious vessels: and he took the hidden treasures which he found: and when he had taken all away he departed into his own country.
•  And he made a great slaughter of men, and spoke very proudly.
• And there was great mourning in Israel, and in every place where they were.
• And the princes, and the ancients mourned, and the virgins and the young men were made feeble, and the beauty of the women was changed.
•  Every bridegroom took up lamentation: and the bride that sat in the marriage bed, mourned:

The Occupation of Jerusalem

1 Maccabees 1:29-35

• And the land was moved for the inhabitants thereof, and all the house of Jacob was covered with confusion.
• And after two full years the king sent the chief collector of his tributes to the cities of Juda, and he came to Jerusalem with a great multitude.
• And he spoke to them peaceable words in deceit: and they believed him.
• And he fell upon the city suddenly, and struck it with a great slaughter, and destroyed much people in Israel.
• And he took the spoils of the city, and burnt it with fire, and threw down the houses thereof, and the walls thereof round about:
• And they took the women captive, and the children, and the cattle they possessed.
• And they built the city of David with a great and strong wall, and with strong towers, and made it a fortress for them:
  •  And they placed there a sinful nation, wicked men, and they fortified themselves therein: and they stored up armour, and victuals, and gathered together the spoils of Jerusalem;
  • And laid them up there: and they became a great snare.
  •  And this was a place to lie in wait against the sanctuary, and an evil devil in Israel.
  • And they shed innocent blood round about the sanctuary, and defiled the holy place.
    • Citadel: The ancient Jebusite fortress defeated by David (see 2 Sam 5:7-9).

The Great Persecution

1 Maccabees 1:44-50

•  And all nations consented according to the word of king Antiochus. And many of Israel consented to his service,
  • and they sacrificed to idols, and profaned the sabbath.
  • And should forbid holocausts and sacrifices,
  • and atonements to be made in the temple of God.
  • And should prohibit the sabbath,
  • and the festival days, to be celebrated.
  • And he commanded the holy places to be profaned, and the holy people of Israel.
  • And he commanded altars to be built, and temples, and idols, and swine’s flesh to be immolated, and unclean beasts.
    • Swine: the pig was the unclean animal par excellence (see Lev 11:7; Deut 14:8).
    • Anyone who refused to obey the command of the king was to be put to death.

Mattathias & His Sons

1 Maccabees 2:1-5

• In those days arose Mathathias the son of John, the son of Simeon, a priest of the sons of Joarib, from Jerusalem, and he abode in the mountain of Modin.
  • Mattathias signifies “gift of Yahweh.” 
  • Joarib was the head of the first priestly division (see 1 Chr 24:7). 
  • Modein was seventeen miles west of Jerusalem.
• He had five sons:
  • John who was surnamed Gaddis:
  • Simon, who was surnamed Thasi:
  • Judas, who was called Machabeus:
    • Maccabeus is thought to derive from a Hebrew word meaning “hammer.”
  • Eleazar, who was surnamed Abaron:
  • Jonathan, who was surnamed Apphus.

Pagan Worship Refused

1 Maccabees 2:15-18

• And they that were sent from king Antiochus came thither, to compel them that were fled into the city of Modin, to sacrifice, and to burn incense, and to depart from the law of God.
• And many of the people of Israel consented, and came to them: but Mathathias and his sons stood firm.
• And they that were sent from Antiochus, answering, said to Mathathias: Thou art a ruler, and an honourable, and great man in this city, and adorned with sons, and brethren.
• Therefore come thou first, and obey the king’s commandment, as all nations have done, and the men of Juda, and they that remain in Jerusalem: and thou, and thy sons, shall be in the number of the king’s friends, and enriched with gold, and silver, and many presents.

Run to the hills

1 Maccabees 2:27-30

• And Mathathias cried out in the city with a loud voice, saying: Every one that hath zeal for the law, and maintaineth the testament, let him follow me.
• So, he, and his sons fled into the mountains, and left all that they had in the city.
• Then many that sought after judgment, and justice, went down into the desert:
• And they abode there, they and their children, and their wives, and their cattle: because afflictions increased upon them.
  • The desert refers to the wilderness of Judea, southward from Jerusalem and west of the Dead Sea, where one could easily find hiding places in grottoes and caves.

It was reported to the officers of the king and the forces stationed in Jerusalem

1 Maccabees 2:31-38

• And it was told to the king’s men, and to the army that was in Jerusalem in the city of David, that certain men who had broken the king’s commandment, were gone away into the secret places in the wilderness, and that many were gone after them.
• And forthwith they went out towards them, and made war against them on the sabbath day,
• And they said to them: Do you still resist? come forth, and do according to the edict of king Antiochus, and you shall live.
• And they said: We will not come forth, neither will we obey the king’s edict, to profane the sabbath day.
• And they made haste to give them battle.
• But they answered them not, neither did they cast a stone at them, nor stopped up the secret places,
• Saying:
  • Let us all die in our innocency: and heaven and earth shall be witnesses for us, that you put us to death wrongfully.
• So, they gave them battle on the sabbath: and they were slain with their wives, and their children, and their cattle, to the number of a thousand persons.

Mattathias Organizes the Resistance

1 Maccabees 2:39-41

• And Mathathias and his friends heard of it, and they mourned for them exceedingly.
• And every man said to his neighbour:
  • If we shall all do as our brethren have done, and not fight against the heathens for our lives, and our justifications: they will now quickly root us out of the earth.
• And they determined in that day, saying:
  • Whosoever shall come up against us to fight on the sabbath day, we will fight against him: and we will not all die, as our brethren that were slain in the secret places.

Counterattack

1 Maccabees 2:42-48

• Then was assembled to them the congregation of the Assideans, the stoutest of Israel, every one that had a good will for the law.
• And all they that fled from the evils, joined themselves to them, and were a support to them.
• And they gathered an army, and slew the sinners in their wrath, and the wicked men in their indignation: and the rest fled to the nations for safety.
• And Mathathias and his friends went round about, and they threw down the altars:
  • And they circumcised all the children whom they found in the confines of Israel that were uncircumcised: and they did valiantly.
  • And they pursued after the children of pride, and the work prospered in their hands:
  • And they recovered the law out of the hands of the nations, and out of the hands of the kings: and they yielded not the horn to the sinner.

Last Words of Mattathias

I Maccabees 2:49-50

• Now the days drew near that Mathathias should die, and he said to his sons: Now hath pride and chastisement gotten strength, and the time of destruction, and the wrath of indignation:
• Now therefore, O my sons, be ye zealous for the law, and give your lives for the covenant of your fathers.

1 Maccabees 2:69-70

• And he blessed them, and was joined to his fathers.
• And he died in the hundred and forty-sixth year: and he was buried by his sons in the sepulchres of his fathers in Modin, and all Israel mourned for him with great mourning.

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First Battles of Judas

Battle 1

Then Apollonius united the Gentiles with a large army from Samaria to wage war against Israel. 

•  Apollonius is probably the same Mysian “collector of tribute” who the year before had carried out a great slaughter at Jerusalem, imposing Hellenism by force of arms (see 1 Mac 1:29-34). Inasmuch as he was a strategist from Samaria (and its governor, according to Josephus), we can understand how he could gather together a large army of Samaritans, whose enmity toward the Jews was long-established and deep-seated (see Ezr 4:1-5; Neh 4:1-2; 12:28).

On learning this, Judas marched out to confront him, and he defeated and killed him. Many fell wounded, and those who survived took flight. 

Then their spoils were seized. The sword of Apollonius was taken by Judas, who used it in his battles for the rest of his life.

Battle 2

When Seron, the commander of the Assyrian army, learned that Judas had mustered a large force of faithful soldiers prepared for battle, he said, “I will make a name for myself and win great renown in the kingdom if I defeat Judas and his followers who have shown such contempt for the king’s edict.” And once again a large army of unbelievers banded together to help him exact vengeance on the Israelites.

When he reached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas marched out to confront him with a small contingent. 

• The ascent of Beth-horon: a gorge that ran from the mountains of Judea to the coast. The town was about twelve miles from Jerusalem.

However, when they observed the army that was gathered to do battle with them, his soldiers said to Judas, “How can we, as few as we are, fight against so great a multitude? Besides, we are faint with hunger, for we have eaten nothing all day.” 

But Judas replied, “It is easy for many to be defeated by a few. In the sight of Heaven, there is no distinction between deliverance by many and deliverance by a few. 

• In late Judaism, it was customary to avoid naming Yahweh: at the time of the Persians, the expression “God of heaven” was used. In the period that interests us, the name Heaven is used in the same sense. This discretion was inspired by respect toward the one God.

Victory in war does not depend upon the size of the fighting force, but rather upon the strength that comes from Heaven. Our enemies have come against us in a display of insolence and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children, and to plunder us. However, we are fighting in defense of our lives and our laws. He himself will crush them before our eyes; therefore, do not be afraid of them.”

When he had finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his army, and they were crushed before him. He pursued them down the descent of Beth-horon as far as the plain. About eight hundred of their men fell, and those who survived fled to the country of the Philistines. As a result, Judas and his brothers began to be feared, and terror seized the Gentiles all around them. His fame came to the attention of the king, and all the Gentiles talked about Judas and his battles.

Syria Readies the Repression

(1 Maccabees 3:27-37)

1 Maccabees 3:27

• Now when king Antiochus heard these words, he was angry in his mind: and he sent and gathered the forces of all his kingdom, an exceeding strong army.

1 Maccabees 3:34-35

•  And he delivered to him half the army, and the elephants: and he gave him charge concerning all that he would have done, and concerning the inhabitants of Judea, and Jerusalem:
• And that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away the memory of them from that place:

1 Maccabees 3:37

• The king then took the remaining half of his forces and set out from Antioch, his capital, in the year one hundred and forty-seven. He crossed the Euphrates River and advanced through the upper provinces.

Preparations for Battle

1 Maccabees 3:38-41

• Then Lysias chose Ptolemee the son of Dorymenus, and Nicanor, and Gorgias, mighty men of the king’s friends. And he sent with them forty thousand men, and seven thousand horsemen: to go into the land of Juda, and to destroy it according to the king’s orders.
  • Nicanor was the leader of another expedition against the Jews four years later and was ultimately slain by Judas (see 1 Mac 7:26-46).
•   So, they went forth with all their power, and came, and pitched near Emmaus in the plain country.
  • Emmaus: this was not the Emmaus of Lk 24:13, but a town about twenty-five miles west of Jerusalem, which dominated the ways of access to it.
• And the merchants of the countries heard the fame of them: and they took silver and gold in abundance, and servants: and they came into the camp, to buy the children of Israel for slaves: and there were joined to them the forces of Syria, and of the land of the strangers.

Judas Prepares for Battle

1 Maccabees 3:42-44

• And Judas and his brethren saw that evils were multiplied, and that the armies approached to their borders: and they knew the orders the king had given to destroy the people and utterly abolish them.
• And they said every man to his neighbour: Let us raise up the low condition of our people, and let us fight for our people, and our sanctuary.
• And the assembly was gathered that they might be ready for battle: and that they might pray, and ask mercy and compassion.
  • Preparations are made for a holy war by prayer and penitence (see 1 Sam 7:5). The Lord is implored, his word is consulted (see v. 48), and the law is more strictly observed, for it is from Heaven—that is, from God—that the outcome of the combat depends. The people are ready to risk everything in the cause of God, to save the temple and the nation.

1 Maccabees 3:55-59

• And after this Judas appointed captains over the people, over thousands, and over hundreds, and over fifties, and over tens.
• And he said to them that were building houses, or had betrothed wives, or were planting vineyards, or were fearful, that they should return every man to his house, according to the law.
• So, they removed the camp and pitched on the south side of Emmaus.
• And Judas said: Gird yourselves, and be valiant men, and be ready against the morning, that you may fight with these nations that are assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary.
• For it is better for us to die in battle, than to see the evils of our nation, and of the holies:

Battle at Emmaus

1 Maccabees 4:1-5

• Then Gorgias took five thousand men, and a thousand of the best horsemen: and they removed out of the camp by night.
• That they might come upon the camp of the Jews, and strike them suddenly: and the men that were of the castle were their guides.
• And Judas heard of it, and rose up, he and the valiant men, to attack the king’s forces that were in Emmaus.
• For as yet the army was dispersed from the camp.
• And Gorgias came by night into the camp of Judas, and found no man, and he sought them in the mountains: for he said: These men flee from us.

1 Maccabees 4:6-8

• And when it was day, Judas shewed himself in the plain with three thousand men only, who neither had armour nor swords.
• And they saw the camp of the Gentiles that it was strong, and the men in breastplates, and the horsemen round about them, and these were trained up to war.
• And Judas said to the men that were with him: Fear ye not their multitude, neither be ye afraid of their assault.

1 Maccabees 4:12-18

• And the strangers lifted up their eyes, and saw them coming against them.
• And they went out of the camp to battle, and they that were with Judas sounded the trumpet.
• And they joined battle: and the Gentiles were routed, and fled into the plain.
• But all the hindmost of them fell by the sword, and they pursued them as far as Gezeron, and even to the plains of Idumea, and of Azotus, and of Jamnia: and there fell of them to the number of three thousand men.
  • The pursuit took all directions: Gazara, or Gezer, lay five miles northwest of Emmaus; Judea was to the far south; Azotus, or Ashdod, and Jamnia, were west and southwest.
•  When Judas and his army broke off their pursuit, he said to the people: 
  • And he said to the people: Be not greedy of the spoils: for there is war before us:
  • And Gorgias and his army are near us in the mountain: but stand ye now against our enemies, and overthrow them, and you shall take the spoils afterwards with safety.

Victory over Lysias

1 Maccabees 4:26-35

• And such of the strangers as escaped, went and told Lysias all that had happened.
• And when he heard these things, he was amazed and discouraged: because things had not succeeded in Israel according to his mind, and as the king had commanded.
• So, the year following Lysias gathered together threescore thousand chosen men, and five thousand horsemen, that he might subdue them.
• And they came into Judea, and pitched their tents in Bethoron, and Judas met them with ten thousand men.
• And they saw that the army was strong, and he prayed, and said: Blessed art thou, O Saviour of Israel, who didst break the violence of the mighty by the hand of thy servant David, and didst deliver up the camp of the strangers into the hands of Jonathan the son of Saul and of his armourbearer.
• Shut up this army in the hands of thy people Israel, and let them be confounded in their host and their horsemen.
• Strike them with fear, and cause the boldness of their strength to languish, and let them quake at their own destruction.
• Cast them down with the sword of them that love thee: and let all that know thy name, praise thee with hymns.
• And they joined battle: and there fell of the army of Lysias five thousand men.
• And when Lysias saw that his men were put to flight, and how bold the Jews were, and that they were ready either to live, or to die manfully, he went to Antioch, and chose soldiers, that they might come again into Judea with greater numbers.

Cleansing and Dedication of the Temple

1 Maccabees 4:36-45

•  Then Judas, and his brethren said: Behold our enemies are discomfited: let us go up now to cleanse the holy places and to repair them.
• And all the army assembled together, and they went up into mount Sion.
• And they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burnt, and shrubs growing up in the courts as in a forest, or on the mountains, and the chambers joining to the temple thrown down.
• And they rent their garments, and made great lamentation, and put ashes on their heads:
• And they fell face down to the ground on their faces, and they sounded with the trumpets of alarm, and they cried towards heaven.
• Then Judas appointed men to fight against them that were in the castle, till they had cleansed the holy places.
• And he chose priests without blemish, whose will was set upon the law of God:
  • And they cleansed the holy places, and took away the stones that had been defiled into an unclean place.
  • And he considered about the altar of holocausts that had been profaned, what he should do with it.
  • And a good counsel came into their minds, to pull it down: lest it should be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it; so they threw it down.

1 Maccabees 4:56

• And they kept the dedication of the altar eight days, and they offered holocausts with joy, and sacrifices of salvation, and of praise.

1 Maccabees 4:59

• And Judas, and his brethren, and all the church of Israel decreed, that the day of the dedication of the altar should be kept in its season from year to year for eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu, with joy and gladness.

After telling the story of the miracle of the cruse of oil, the Talmud adds, “The following year these days were established as a Festival with the recital of Hallel and thanksgiving.” Ever since, Hanukkah has been celebrated each year starting on the 25th of Chislev.

• Hanukkah is an eight-day Jewish holiday celebrating the miracle of a single cruse of oil lasting eight days. On the first night, one candle is lit along with the shammash, and another candle is added each night. By the final night, nine candles, including the shammash, shine brightly. After lighting the Menorah, it’s traditional to sing Ma’oz Tzur in honor of the holiday. Latkes and other fried foods are also enjoyed commemorating the miracle of the oil.

For information on Celebrating the Light: Insights into Hanukkah.

🌼 Bible Studies by a Young Disciple

Written by Bell