A Brief Overview
Hanukkah, like Purim, was not one of the original feasts that the LORD gave to the Israelites. Purim became a holiday celebrating the Jews’ deliverance from Haman during the fifth century B.C. through the efforts of Esther and Mordecai.
Like Purim, Hanukkah celebrates the Jews’ victory over an enemy. In the second century B.C., the Jews defeated the Grecian ruler Antiochus Epiphanes. The word “Hanukkah” means “dedication.” The feast’s name refers to when the Jewish people rededicated the temple after defeating Antiochus.
A Long Struggle for Power
Before Antiochus, There Was A Powerful Leader
Hundreds of years before Antiochus appears in the annals of history, King Philip of Macedon is assassinated. Alexander, his son, assumes the throne at the age of twenty. A little over a year later, Alexander led 35,000 troops west to begin a military campaign that would rival none. In just three years, he and his armies conquered the Mediterranean world. Within ten years, the Greek empire extended as far west as parts of India and included parts of North Africa in the South, including Egypt. Alexander had done the impossible; he and his men had conquered the Persian empire and more without losing a single battle!
Having conquered the civilized world, Alexander wept over not having more nations to conquer and subdue. However, Alexander’s appetite for war and greatness wasn’t satisfied despite his unmatched military accomplishments. He began making and executing plans to advance into India when his men became homesick and forced him to return home. In 323 BC, Alexander the Great started planning for future battles when he suddenly fell ill and died at age thirty-two (some sources say thirty-three).
Before Antiochus, There Was A Power Struggle
A Power Struggle for the Kingdom
Alexander had not made arrangements for who would succeed him as Greece’s leader before he passed. For twenty years following his death, there was a struggle for power over the great empire that Alexander and his men had established. The kingdom was eventually divided into four parts, with each part governed by one of Alexander’s generals. One general was given the region of Egypt, another Macedon (including Greece), another Asia Minor, and finally another Syria.
A Power Struggle between the regions of the Kingdom
Ptolemy was the general who ruled over the region of Egypt. He established a powerful dynasty, and the region enjoyed prosperity under his leadership and his successors. Perhaps the most famous ruler of the Egyptian region was also its last, Cleopatra. Her death in 30 B.C. marked the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Seleucus was the name of the general who oversaw Syria. This man also established a mighty empire. Antioch became the most important city in his empire, and it would become the first non-Jewish center of Christianity and the base from which Paul would set out on his missionary journeys (Acts 11:19-26).
Until it was annexed by Rome in 64 B.C., the Seleucids saw their kings as gods, worshipping them as such. This region of the empire shared Alexander’s passion for spreading the influence of Greek culture. The desire to unify the world through the Greek language and worldview is known as Hellenism. This process is known as Hellenism because it is named after the Hellenic race of people who later became known as the Greeks. These two characteristics of the Seleucid (Syrian) empire proved devastating to the Jews after Antiochus rose to power.
For years, the Seleucids (Syrian) and Ptolemies (Egypt) warred with one another in an attempt to expand their empires. Daniel 11 mentions some of their battles. During these hundred years, Israel was caught in the middle of their feuding. Antiochus IV Epiphanes became king of the Syrian region in 175 B.C. He did not squander the fact that his empire was strong and fierce; he would expand Greek culture in any way he could and use force as necessary. The Seleucid King’s ambition would lead to a time of unimaginable suffering for God’s people who would not forsake the LORD and His ways.
Antiochus Demonstrates His Power Over the Jews
The Jews had enjoyed freedom to worship the LORD according to the Law of Moses since returning from Babylon. Even Alexander the Great had permitted the Jewish people to keep the Law of Moses as described in their scriptures. However, with Antiochus in power, the prophecy found in Daniel 8:9-14 and 23-26 was about to be fulfilled. For the first time in history, a man was set to remove the Jewish race through assimilation or annihilation.
The arrogant king forbade the Jews from practicing their religion. God’s people were no longer free to circumcise their newborn sons, observe the Sabbath, celebrate the feasts, keep their dietary laws, or have a copy of or study the Law. Antiochus also stopped the Temple’s sacrifices and burned any copy of the Torah he or his men could find.
Once the sacrifices were stopped, he set a statue of Zeus in the temple and a newly constructed altar to the Greek god. Having installed the statue and the altar, Antiochus sacrificed a pig on the altar and desecrated the temple by splattering the pig’s blood throughout the temple. He also poured the blood onto the Torah. Daniel prophesied about Antiochus and his actions in 550 B.C. in the eighth chapter of the book that bears his name (8:11-12).
Any Jew who refused to obey Antiochus and embrace Hellenism was tortured, murdered, or both. It is estimated that Antiochus murdered 80,000 Jews and sold another 40,000 into slavery. Many of Israel’s leaders, especially upper-class ones, conformed to the Greeks’ ways and forsook the LORD’s ways. Much of the information we have about this horrific time in Israel’s history comes from First and Second Maccabees, which were written during this period. These books record the suffering of God’s people and the conviction and courage of some of God’s people.
Antiochus’ Power Is Challenged
Just like Daniel refused to defile himself by eating the king’s meat around 400 years earlier, an aged priest named Mattathias revolted against this arrogant king. 1 Maccabees 2:15-28 tells the following story.
“The king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them offer sacrifice. 16 Many from Israel came to them, and Mattathias and his sons were assembled. 17 Then the king’s officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: “You are a leader, honored and great in this town, and supported by sons and brothers. 18 Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the nations and the people of Judah and those who are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the Friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.”
19 But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him and have chosen to obey his commandments, every one of them abandoning the religion of their ancestors, 20 I and my sons and my brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors. 21 Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. 22 We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.”
23 When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein, according to the king’s command. 24 When Mattathias saw it, he burned with zeal, and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and slaughtered him on the altar. 25 At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. 26 Thus he burned with zeal for the law, just as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu.
27 Then Mattathias cried out in the town with a loud voice, saying: “Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” 28 Then he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the town.”
Mattathias started the righteous rebellion against Antiochus in the village of Modein when he refused to offer a pagan sacrifice. After declaring his allegiance to the LORD, the priest killed the commissioner and fled to the hills with his sons. After Mattathias passed, his five sons continued to wage guerrilla warfare against the suppressing regime. Eventually, this family was given the name “Maccabees.” We know what the people named the family, but we are unsure where the name originated.
Some believe that Maccabees is an acrostic created by combining the first letter of the Hebrew words that mean, “Who among the mighty is like you?” A second view is that the word “Maccabee” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “hammer,” which portrays great strength. Judas, the family leader and the revolt, was called the Maccabee because of his superior strength.
Check out this post or video to discover why 1 and 2 Maccabees, though helpful to read, didn’t make it into the Bible.
Antiochus’ Power Broken
After years of gorilla warfare, Judas and his fighters defeated Antiochus and regained their religious freedoms despite being severely outnumbered. Against all odds, God delivered His people again and fulfilled Daniel 8:14, which states that the temple would be cleansed 2300 days after the onslaught against God’s people and His Temple began. The Temple was restored and cleansed under Judas Maccabeus on December 14, 164 B.C. Counting backward from this date, we are at the fall of 170 B.C., the date of the beginning of Antiochu’s oppression of the Jews!
Hanukkah Established
When the Temple was reclaimed, the Maccabees wanted to light the menorah. However, they could only find enough oil to keep the Temple’s candlestick lit for one day. The Greeks had broken the seals on the bottles of consecrated oil, rendering them useless for this ceremonial task. Even though they only had enough oil to burn the menorah for one day, they lit it. Tradition says the oil burned for eight days, allowing them time to attain a supply of purified oil to keep the menorah burning.
The Jews established the ongoing feast of Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22-23) or the Festival of Lights, to remember and celebrate the deliverance from Antiochus’s terror and the rededication of the Temple.
Jews today start celebrating Hanukkah on the 25th day of Kislev (November or December on our calendar). Families place a menorah in a place where it is visible outside. In the late afternoon of each day, another candle is lit until all eight are lit at the end of the eighth day.
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