No 9

(Hanukkah)

This feast commemorates the cleansing of the Temple during the reign of the Greek Seleucid king Antiochus IV or Antiochus Epiphanes (God manifest) as he called himself. This king had converted the temple of the Most High God to a pagan worship centre for the Greek god Zeus and forced the Jewish priests to do abominable things that were contrary to the laws of God. At one point in the year 168 BC, Greek soldiers tried to force the priests to sacrifice a pig on the altar; the Jews refused and a revolt began lead by Judah Maccabeus. The small group of Jewish rebels fled to the mountains to re-group and faced an overwhelming number of Greek soldiers. Many battles ensued and Judah Maccabeus’ army of rebels became seasoned warriors who won several battles sometimes against Greek armies 13 times the size of theirs. After one battle, Judah decided it was time to go to Jerusalem. The sight that met their eyes upon entering the Temple Mount reduced many of them to tears. The doors of the Temple were burnt, the curtains had been torn down and the altar of burnt offerings was polluted with an idol of Zeus and the remains of dead pigs.

Despite the grievous circumstances, Judah rallied his troops and he commissioned them in the holy task of cleansing the Temple and consecrating it again to God. They built new lamp stands, a new table of showbread, a new altar of incense, new curtains were put up and new doors were installed. The Temple was re-dedicated to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with much rejoicing, worshipping and praising. Judah decided that this feast, that lasted eight days, should be instituted and observed every year; thus the Feast of Dedication or Hanukkah was brought into existence. There is some debate as to why the feast lasted eight days. One legend has it that a jug of oil required to light the temple miraculously lasted eight days allowing enough time to consecrate new oil, but there is no proof of this. The miracle here is how God protected His people and delivered them from their evil oppressors. The observance of Hanukkah begins on the 25^th day of the month Kislev (November-December) and lasts for eight days. Each day, a candle is added to a lamp stand called a Hanukkah Menorah and the ninth candle (called the shammash, the servant) is used to light the other eight. The menorah is usually placed near a window so that its lighting may serve as a testimony to the miracle that occurred long ago.