After Alexander the Great had defeated the Persians and conquered many lands and advanced to the ends of the earth, he fell sick and perceived that he was dying. So he summoned his most honored generals and divided his kingdom among them. Soon Alexander was dead and his officers began to rule, each in his own place, and they set up kingdoms for themselves. One such kingdom that sprang from the division of Alexander’s Macedonian Empire was the Seleucid Empire, founded by Seleucus I Nicator. Seleucus’ kingdom covered much of the territory of the Ancient Near East; a dynasty which existed from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucids held a light rule over the territory of Judea and the Jewish people: they respected Jewish culture and protected Jewish institutions. However, during the rein of Antiochus IV Epiphanies (beginning in 175 BC) the Jews were faced with harsh persecutions which led to a rebellion against his rule. This Jewish uprising against Greek influence would be known as The Maccabean Revolt, and lasted from 167 to 160 BC.
After taking control of Egypt, Antiochus went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar and the table of shew-bread. He stripped off the golden ornaments from the temple as well as other costly vessels and the hidden treasures that he found. He took them all and went into his own land after shedding much blood. Two years later in 168 BC, Antiochus Epiphanies returned to Jerusalem and captured the city. Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that all should give up their particular customs. Many from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. Antiochus erected the abomination of desolation on the altar of burnt offering, and on the 25th day of Chislev they offered sacrifice upon the idolatrous altar, which was upon the altar of God, and this sacrifice is believed to have been a pig. But many in Israel stood firm and resolved not to eat unclean food and chose rather to die than to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. And very great wrath came upon Israel.
In those days Mattathias, a priest from the family of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. He had five sons, namely Judas called Maccabeus, meaning “the hammer.” Mattathias saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem and he and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned greatly. The king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to Modein to make them offer sacrifice. Mattathias strongly refused and said loudly, “We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.” And just as he finished speaking, a Jew came forward to sacrifice on the altar of Modein, according to the order of the king. Seeing it, Mattathias filled with zeal and righteous anger ran and killed him on the altar. He also killed the kings officer, who was enforcing the sacrifice, and tore down the altar. Then he and his sons fled to the hills. Then there united with them a company of Hasideans, mighty warriors of Israel and other fugitives joined them and reinforced them. They organized an army and struck down sinners in their anger. Mattathias and his friends tore down the altars, forcibly circumcised all the uncircumcised boys within the borders of Israel, and rescued the law out of the hands of the Gentiles and kings, and they never let the sinner gain the upper hand.
Now the days drew near for Mattathias to die, and he instructed his sons to show zeal for the law and to give their lives for the covenant of their ancestors. Then his son Judas Maccabeus took command in his place. All his brothers and the others who joined his father helped him and they gladly fought for Israel. Judas extended the glory of his people. Like a giant he put on his breastplate; he bound on his armor of war and waged battles, protecting the camp by his sword. When king Antiochus heard these reports, he was greatly angered. He gathered and sent all the forces of his kingdom, and opened his coffers and payed his troops until all the money in the treasury was exhausted. Troubled by this financial loss Antiochus went to Persia in the hopes of collecting the revenues from that region. However, the king had to retreat from Persia for the people fought him as he attempted to rob the temples of Persepolis. In a rage he turned towards Jerusalem with arrogant intent as he spoke of making Jerusalem a cemetery for Jews. But the God of Israel struck him with an incurable and invisible blow. The ungodly man’s body swarmed with worms, and as he suffered in agony, his flesh rotted away. Before he died he uttered these words, “It is right to be subject to God; mortals should not think that they are equal to God.” So the murderer and blasphemer, came to the end of his life by a most pitiable fate, among the mountains in a strange land.
Now Judas Maccabeus and his followers recovered the temple and the city. They purified the sanctuary, and tore down the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. They decided to store the stones in a convenient place until a prophet should come and tell what to do with them. Then they took unhewn stones, as the law directs, and built a new altar like the former one. They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated the courts. Then, early in the morning on the 25th day of Chislev in 164 BC, they rose and offered sacrifice on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Greeks had profaned it, it was dedicated with song and harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed the God of heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt offerings. Then Judas and all the assembly of Israel determined that each year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days beginning with the 25th day of the month Chislev. According to Rabbinic tradition, the Maccabees could only find one jar of oil that had remained unpolluted by virtue of a seal, and although it only contained enough oil to light the Menorah for one day, it miraculously lasted for eight days. Thus was birthed the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.
References:
Cambridge University Press. The Apocrypha, Authorized King James Version. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1992).
Cambridge University Press. The Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version. (Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 1992).
Holy Apostles Convent. The Lives of the Holy Prophets. (Buena Vista, CO: Holy Apostles Convent, 1998).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).