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The Significance of Hanukkah: A Historical Perspective

Timeline of how Hanukkah Came to Be

• Alexander the Great rule over all the land
  • 1 Maccabees 1:1-4 After Alexander of Macedon, the son of Philip, had come from the land of Kittim and defeated Darius, the king of the Persians and the Medes, he succeeded him as king, in addition to his position as king of Greece. He engaged in many campaigns, captured strongholds, and executed kings. In his advance to the ends of the earth, he plundered countless nations. When the earth was reduced to silence before him, his heart swelled with pride and arrogance. He recruited a very powerful army, and as provinces, nations, and rulers were conquered by him, they became his tributaries.
    • After defeating the Persians, Alexander the Great reached the Indian Ocean.

• Alexander the Great Dies
  • 1 Maccabees 1:5-9 However, when all this had been accomplished, Alexander became ill, and he realized that his death was imminent. Therefore, he summoned his officers, nobles who had been brought up with him from his youth, and he divided his kingdom among them while he was still alive. Then, in the twelfth year of his reign, Alexander died. After that, his officers assumed power in the kingdom, each in his own territory. ⁹ They all put on royal crowns after his death, as did their heirs who succeeded them for many years, inflicting great evils on the world.
    • Twelfth year: 334 B.C.
• Antiochus Epiphanes, Renegade Jews, and Hellenism
  • 1 Maccabees 1:10 From these there sprang forth a wicked offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes, the son of King Antiochus. Previously he had been a hostage in Rome. He began his reign in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the Greeks.
    • The year 137 of the Seleucid era corresponds to 175 B.C.
  • 1 Maccabees 1;11-15
    • In those days there emerged in Israel a group of renegades who led many people astray, saying, “Let us enter into an alliance with the Gentiles around us. Many disasters have come upon us since we separated ourselves from them.” This proposal received great popular support, and when some of the people immediately thereafter approached the king; he authorized them to introduce the practices observed by the Gentiles. Therefore, they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem according to Gentile custom, concealed the marks of their circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. Thus they allied themselves to the Gentiles and sold themselves to the power of evil.
      • 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 Once his kingdom had been firmly established, Antiochus was determined to become king of Egypt so that he might reign over both kingdoms. He invaded Egypt with a massive force of chariots, elephants, and cavalry, supported by a large fleet.  When he engaged Ptolemy, the king of Egypt, in battle, Ptolemy fled in fear before him, amidst a great number of casualties. The fortified cities in the land of Egypt were captured, and Antiochus plundered the kingdom.
• The Temple is Destroyed
  • 1 Maccabees 1:20-28
    • After his return from his conquest of Egypt in the year one hundred and forty-three, Antiochus advanced upon Israel and Jerusalem with a massive force. In his arrogance he entered the sanctuary and removed the golden altar, the lampstand for the light with all its fixtures, the table for the loaves of offering, the libation cups and bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, and the crowns. He stripped off all the gold decorations on the front of the temple, and he seized the silver and gold and precious vessels and all the hidden treasures he could find. Taking all this, he returned to his own country, having caused great bloodshed and boasted arrogantly of what he had accomplished.
    • There was great mourning throughout Israel, and the rulers and the elders groaned.
    • Girls and young men wasted away, and the beauty of the women waned.
    • Every bridegroom raised up laments, and the bride sat mourning in her bridal chamber.
    • The land trembled for its inhabitants, and the entire house of Jacob was clothed in shame.
• The Occupation of Jerusalem (1 Maccabees 1:29-40)
  • 1 Maccabees 1:29-35 Two years later the king sent his chief collector of tribute to the cities of Judah. When he came to Jerusalem with a powerful force, he deceitfully addressed the people there with sentiments of peace. Once he had gained their confidence, he suddenly launched a savage attack on the city and exterminated many of the people of Israel. He plundered the city and set it on fire. He demolished its dwellings and the walls that encircled the city, took the women and children captive, and seized the livestock. Then they rebuilt the City of David with a massive high wall and strong towers, and it became their citadel. There they stationed a sinful race of renegades, who fortified themselves inside it, storing up arms and provisions, and depositing there the plunder they had collected from Jerusalem. Thus, they posed a significant threat.
    • Citadel: The ancient Jebusite fortress defeated by David (see 2 Sam 5:7-9).
• The Great Persecution (1 Maccabees 1:41-64)
  • 1 Maccabees 1:44-50
    • The king also sent messengers to Jerusalem and the cities of Judah with edicts commanding them to adopt practices that were foreign to their country: 
      • to prohibit holocausts, sacrifices, and libations in the sanctuary,
      • to profane the Sabbaths and feast days, 
      • to defile the temple and its priests, to build altars, temples, and shrines for idols, 
      • to sacrifice swine and other unclean beasts, 
        • Swine: the pig was the unclean animal par excellence (see Lev 11:7; Deut 14:8).
      • to leave their sons uncircumcised, and to allow themselves to be defiled with every kind of impurity and abomination, 
      • so that they would forget the law and change all their observances. 
    • 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 Mattathias, son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the family of Joarib, departed from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. 
      • 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 called Gaddi; 
      • Simon, who was called Thassi; 
      • Judas, who was called Maccabeus;
        • Maccabeus is thought to derive from a Hebrew word meaning “hammer.”
      • Eleazar, who was called Avaran;
      • and Jonathan, who was called Apphus
• Pagan Worship Refused (1Maccabees 2:15-28 )
  • 1Maccabees 2:15-18
    • The officers of the king who had been commissioned to enforce the apostasy came to the town of Modein to ensure that the sacrifices were being offered.  Many Israelites assembled around them, but Mattathias and his sons stood apart. Then the officers of the king addressed Mattathias in these words:
    • “You are a leader in this town, respected and influential, and you have the support of your sons and brothers.  Now be the first to come forward and obey the decree of the king, as all the Gentiles have done, as well as the citizens of Judah and the people who remain in Jerusalem. Then you and your sons will be counted among the Friends of the King, and you and your sons will be honored with gold and silver and many other gifts.”
• Run to the hills
  • 1 Maccabees 2:27-30
    • Then Mattathias advanced through the town, shouting: “Let everyone who is zealous for the law and who stands by the covenant come with me!” Then he and his sons fled to the hills, leaving behind in the town everything that they possessed. Many of the people who desired to live in accordance with justice and the law went down to the desert and settled there, taking with them their sons, their wives, and their livestock, so oppressive were the sufferings that they had been forced to endure.
      • 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
    • Shortly thereafter it was reported to the officers of the king and the forces stationed in Jerusalem, the City of David, that those who had refused to obey the king’s edict had retreated to hiding places in the desert. 
    • A large force set out in pursuit and caught up with them; they encamped opposite them and prepared to attack them on the Sabbath. 
    • “Enough of this defiance!” they said. “Come out and obey the king’s edict, and your lives will be spared.” 
    • “We will not come out,” they replied, “nor will we do what the king commands and profane the Sabbath.”
    • Then the enemy immediately launched an attack on them, but they did not retaliate, neither hurling rocks nor barricading their hiding places. They only said, “Let us all die in a state of innocence. Heaven and earth are our witnesses that you are massacring us without the slightest justification.” Therefore, the enemy attacked on the Sabbath and massacred them along with their wives, their children, and their livestock—one thousand persons in all.
• Mattathias Organizes the Resistance
  • 1 Maccabees 2:39-41
    • When Mattathias and his friends were informed of this, they grieved deeply for them.  “If we all do as our kindred have done,” they said to one another, “and refuse to fight against the Gentiles in defense of our lives and our traditions, they will soon wipe us off the face of the earth.” On that day they formulated this decision: “Let us fight against anyone who attacks us on the Sabbath, so that we will not all be killed, as happened to our kindred who died in their hiding places.”
• Counterattack (1 Maccabees 2:42-48)
  • Soon thereafter they were joined by a group of Hasideans, valiant warriors of Israel, each one a stout defender of the law. In addition, all those who were refugees from the persecution joined up with them, adding to their strength. 
  • After organizing an army, they struck down sinners in their anger and renegades in their fury. Those who escaped them fled to the Gentiles for safety. Mattathias and his friends marched through the kingdom, destroying the pagan altars and forcibly circumcising all the uncircumcised boys they found within the borders of Israel. They hunted down their arrogant enemies, and their efforts prospered under their direction. Thus, they defended the law against the Gentiles and their kings, and they did not allow the wicked to emerge triumphant.
• Last Words of Mattathias (I Maccabees 2:49-70)
  • I Maccabees 2:49-50
    • When the time drew near for Mattathias to die, he said to his sons: “Arrogance and scorn have now grown strong; this is an age of turmoil and violent fury. Therefore, my sons, be zealous for the law and be willing to give your lives for the covenant of our ancestors.
    • 1 Maccabees 2:69-70 Then he blessed them and was gathered to his ancestors. ⁷⁰ He died in the year one hundred and forty-six and was buried in the tombs of his ancestors in Modein, and all Israel mourned him with great lamentation.
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• First Battles of Judas (1 Maccabees 3:10-26)
  • 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 When King Antiochus learned about these developments, he was infuriated, and he ordered the mobilization of all the forces of his kingdom, a very powerful army.
  • 1 Maccabees 3:34-35
    • He turned over to him half of his army, together with the elephants, and provided him with detailed instructions about all that he wanted done.
    • As for the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem, Lysias was to send an army against them to crush and destroy the power of Israel and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to wipe out the memory of them from the land. 
  • a 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
    • Lysias chose Ptolemy, the son of Dorymenes, and Nicanor and Gorgias, powerful men among the Friends of the King, and under their command he sent forty thousand infantry and seven thousand cavalry to invade the land of Judah and destroy it in compliance with 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).
    •  Setting out with all their forces, they reached the plain in the region of Emmaus, where they pitched camp. 
      • 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.
    • When the local merchants heard the news of this army, they came to the camp with a large amount of silver and gold as well as fetters, seeking to purchase the Israelites for slaves. In addition, forces from Idumea and Philistia joined with them.
•  Judas Prepares for Battle (1 Maccabees 3:42-59)
  • 1 Maccabees 3:42-44
    • Judas and his brothers realized how critical their situation had become, with opposing forces encamped within their territory.
    • They also had learned of the orders that the king had issued for the total destruction of their people. 
    • Therefore, they said to one another, “Let us restore the shattered fortunes of our people and fight for our people and our sanctuary.”
    • They then gathered together in a full assembly, both to prepare for battle and to offer prayers and implore 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
    •  After this, Judas appointed leaders of the people, in charge of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 
    • He ordered to return to their homes those who were building houses, those who were just married, those who were planting vineyards, and those who were afraid, in accordance with the provisions of the law. 
    • Then the army marched out and encamped to the south of Emmaus.  “Arm yourselves and be brave,” Judas instructed. “In the morning be prepared to fight against these Gentiles who have assembled against us to destroy us and our sanctuary. It is better that we die in battle than that we witness the misfortunes of our people and our sanctuary. Whatever Heaven wills, so will he do.”
• Battle at Emmaus (1 Maccabees 4:1-25)
  • 1 Maccabees 4:1-5
    • Gorgias took five thousand infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and this detachment set out at night in order to launch a surprise attack on the camp of the Jews. Men from the citadel served as his guides. 
    • However, Judas learned of their plan, and he and his soldiers moved out to attack the royal forces at Emmaus while some of the troops were still dispersed away from the camp. 
    • When Gorgias reached the camp of Judas by night, therefore, he found no one there, and he began to search for them in the mountains, saying, “These men are fleeing from us.”
  • 1 Maccabees 4:6-8
    • At daybreak, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, although they lacked the armor and the swords they would have wished for. They saw the camp of the Gentiles with its strong fortifications, flanked with cavalry, and a fighting force expert in the art of warfare. 
    •  Judas said to those who were with him: “Do not be afraid of their superior numbers or panic when they attack.
  • 1 Maccabees 4:12-18
    • When the foreigners looked up and saw them advancing against them, they came out of their camp to engage in battle.
    • Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets, and the fighting began.
    • The Gentiles were defeated and fled into the plain. All those who were in the rear fell by the sword, and the rest were pursued as far as Gazara and the plains of Judea, to Azotus and Jamnia, with about three thousand of them slain.
      • 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: 
      • “Do not be greedy for plunder, for we have yet another battle ahead of us. Gorgias and his army are very close to us in the mountain area. Stand firm now against our enemies and defeat them. After that, you can safely take as much booty as you please.”
• Victory over Lysias
  • 1 Maccabees 4:26-60
    • Those foreigners who had managed to escape went to Lysias and reported to him everything that had occurred. When he heard the news, he was greatly disturbed and disappointed, because his plots against Israel had not turned out as he had intended and in accordance with the command of the king.
    • So the following year he mobilized sixty thousand picked infantry and five thousand cavalry to defeat them.  They marched into Idumea and encamped at Beth-zur.
      • Beth-zur: ancient Canaanite city situated on an isolated height at the confines of Idumea about twenty miles south of Jerusalem on the road to Hebron.
    • Judas confronted them with ten thousand men, and when he realized how strong their army was, he offered this prayer:
      • “Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who crushed the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of your servant David and delivered the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and of his armor-bearer. Deliver this army into the hands of your people Israel, and destroy the pride of the enemy in their troops and cavalry.  Fill them with fear, weaken the boldness of their strength, and let them quake at their own destruction. Strike them down with the sword of those who love you, so that all who acknowledge your name will praise you with hymns.”
    • Then both sides entered into battle, and in the hand-to-hand combat five thousand of the army of Lysias were slain. 
    • When Lysias saw his army being routed and the boldness of the soldiers of Judas who were prepared either to live or to die nobly, he withdrew to Antioch and began to recruit a force of mercenaries for a further invasion of Judea with an even larger army.
• Cleansing and Dedication of the Temple (1 Maccabees 4:36-61)
  • 1 Maccabees 4:36-45
    • Then Judas and his brothers said: “Behold, our enemies have been crushed; let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.” 
      • And so the entire army assembled, and they went up to Mount Zion. 
    • There they found the sanctuary desolate, the altar desecrated, the gates burned to the ground, the courts overgrown with weeds as in a thicket or on some mountain, and the chambers of the priests in ruins.
    •  Then Judas designated men to engage in combat with those in the citadel while he purified the sanctuary. 
    • He appointed blameless priests who were devoted to the law; these purified the sanctuary and carried off the stones of the Abomination to an unclean place. 
    • They discussed what should be done about the altar of burnt offerings that had been desecrated, and they made the proper decision to demolish it so that it would not be a source of lasting shame to them inasmuch as the Gentiles had defiled it.
      • Therefore, they tore down the altar and stored the stones in a suitable place on the temple hill until a prophet should appear on the scene to determine what should be done with them. 
    • They took unhewn stones, according to the law, and built a new altar fashioned after the former one. 
    • They also repaired the sanctuary and the interior of the temple and purified the courts. 
    • They made new sacred vessels and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. 
    • Then they burned incense on the altar, and they lit the lamp on the lampstands to illuminate the temple. 
    • Finally, they placed loaves of bread on the table and hung the curtains, thereby bringing to completion all of the work they had undertaken.
    • Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-eight, they arose and offered sacrifice, in accordance with the law, on the new altar of burnt offerings that they had constructed. 
      • On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had desecrated it, on that very day it was dedicated with hymns, harps, flutes, and cymbals.
  • 1 Maccabees 4:56
    • They celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days and joyfully offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.
  • 1 Maccabees 4:59
    • Then Judas, his brothers, and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days marking the rededication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days every year on the anniversary, beginning on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.
  • 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.