Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה , , also spelled Chanukah ), also known as the Festival of Lights , is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.
The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah , one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash (Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night for the purpose of lighting the others, and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest.
In the United States, Hanukkah is considered as one of several primary holidays within the Christmas and holiday season.
Origins of the holiday
From the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the forces of Antiochus IV and commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil". According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.
Hanukkah is also mentioned in the deuterocanonical books of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. 1 Maccabees states: "For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. Then Judah and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the rededication... should be observed... every year... for eight days. (1 Mac. 4:56–59)" According to 2 Maccabees, "the Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths."
The martyrdom of Hannah and her seven sons has also been linked to Hanukkah. According to the Talmudic story and 2 Maccabees, a Jewish woman named Hannah and her seven sons were tortured and executed by Antiochus for refusing to worship an idol, which would have been a violation of Jewish law.
Name
The name "Hanukkah" derives from the Hebrew verb "חנך", meaning "to dedicate". On Hanukkah, the Jews regained control of Jerusalem and rededicated the Temple.
In the Jewish tradition, many homiletical explanations have been given for the name:
- The name can be broken down into "חנו", from the Hebrew word for encampment, and the Hebrew letters כ"ה, which stand for the 25th day of Kislev, the day on which the holiday begins: Hence, the Jews sat in their camp, that is, they rested fighting, on the 25th day of Kislev.
- Hanukkah is also the Hebrew acronym for "ח' נרות והלכה כבית הלל" meaning "eight candles as determined by House of Hillel". This is a reference to the disagreement between two rabbinical schools of thought—Hillel and the House of Shammai—on the proper way to light Hanukkah candles. Shammai said that eight candles should be lit from the start, and reduced by one candle every night, whereas Hillel argued in favor of starting with one candle and lighting an additional one every night. Jewish law adopted the position of Hillel.
Historical sources
Mishna
See also: Mishna OmissionsThe story of Hanukkah, along with its laws and customs, is entirely missing from the Mishna outside of a single passing reference, (Megillah 3:6). Rav Nissim Gaon postulates in his Hakdamah Le'mafteach Hatalmud that information on the holiday is commonplace to the point that Rabbinical explanation is unnecessary. Reuvain Margolies suggests that as the Mishnah was redacted after the Bar Kochba revolt, authors could not have included discussion of Hanukkah as the Roman occupiers would not have tolerated the overt nationalism inherent in the story.
In the Talmud
The miracle of Hanukkah is described in the Talmud. The Gemara, in tractate Shabbat 21 , focuses on Shabbat candles and moves to Hanukkah candles and says that after the forces of Antiochus IV had been driven from the Temple, the Maccabees discovered that almost all of the ritual olive oil had been profaned. They found only a single container that was still sealed by the High Priest, with enough oil to keep the menorah in the Temple lit for a single day. They used this, and miraculously, that oil burned for eight days (the time it took to have new oil pressed and made ready).
The Talmud presents three options:
- The law requires only one light each night per household,
- A better practice is to light one light each night for each member of the household
- The most preferred practise is to vary the number of lights each night.
Except in times of danger, the lights were to be placed outside one's door or in the window closest to the street. Rashi, in a note to Shabbat 21b, says their purpose is to publicize the miracle.
In the Septuagint and other sources
The story of Hanukkah is alluded to in the book of 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees of the Septuagint but Hanukkah is not specially mentioned; rather, a story similar in character, and obviously older in date, is the one alluded to in 2 Maccabees 1:18 et seq according to which the relighting of the altar fire by Nehemiah was due to a miracle which occurred on the twenty-fifth of Kislev, and which appears to be given as the reason for the selection of the same date for the rededication of the altar by Judah Maccabee.
Another source is the Megillat Antiochus. This work (also known as "Megillat HaHasmonaim", "Megillat Hanukkah" or "Megillat Yevanit") is in both Aramaic and Hebrew; the Hebrew version is a literal translation from the Aramaic original. Recent scholarship dates it to somewhere between the 2nd and 5th Centuries, probably in the 2nd Century, with the Hebrew dating to the seventh century. It was published for the first time in Mantua in 1557. Saadia Gaon, who translated it into Arabic in the 9th Century, ascribed it to the Maccabees themselves, disputed by some, since it gives dates as so many years before the destruction of the second temple in 70 CE. The Hebrew text with an English translation can be found in the Siddur of Philip Birnbaum.
The Christian New Testament also makes a single reference to Hanukkah in the Gospel of John 10:22: "And it was at Jerusalem, the feast of the Dedication (Hanukkah), and it was winter."
The story
See also: HasmoneanAround 200 BCE Jews lived as an autonomous people in the Land of Israel, also referred to as Judea, which at that time was controlled by the Seleucid king of Syria. The Jewish people were originally granted religious freedom but after their revolt against the Hellenists, Epiphanes was angered.
Traditional view
By 175 BCE Antiochus IV Epiphanes ascended to the Seleucid throne. At first little changed, but under his reign, the Temple in Jerusalem was looted, Jews were massacred, and Judaism was effectively outlawed. In 167 BCE Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. As was the normal practice of the Hellenic religion when sacrificing to the Greek gods, pigs were sacrificed on the altar to Zeus.
Antiochus's actions proved to be a major miscalculation as they provoked a large-scale revolt. Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons Jochanan, Simeon, Eleazar, Jonathan, and Judah led a rebellion against Antiochus. Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi ("Judah the Hammer"). By 166 BCE Mattathias had died, and Judah took his place as leader. By 165 BCE the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Hanukkah was instituted by Judah Maccabee and his brothers to celebrate this event. After recovering Jerusalem and the Temple, Judah ordered the Temple to be cleansed, a new altar to be built in place of the polluted one and new holy vessels to be made. According to the Talmud, olive oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was required to burn throughout the night every night. But there was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight day festival was declared by the Jewish sages to commemorate this miracle.
The version of the story in 1 Maccabees, on the other hand, states that an eight day celebration of songs and sacrifices was proclaimed upon rededication of the altar, and makes no mention of the miracle of the oil. A number of historians believe that the reason for the eight day celebration was that the first Hanukkah was in effect a belated celebration of the festivals of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret. During the war the Jews were not able to celebrate Sukkot/Shemini Atzeret properly; the combined festivals also last eight days, and the Sukkot festivities featured the lighting of lamps in the Temple (Suk.v. 2-4). The historian Josephus mentions the eight-day festival and its customs, but does not tell us the origin of the eight day lighting custom. Given that his audience was Hellenized Ro
Biblical Artifacts Ancient Coins and Artifacts from the Holy Land
Affordable and conversational artifacts and coins from the Holy Land. Offering quality historical and archaeological biblical artifacts to interest your family, friends and ...
BIBLICAL OIL LAMP SET (3100 BC - 600 AD) EVOLUTION (item #514601)
AWEIDAH GALLERY - JERUSALEM BASED GALLERY. Directly from Jerusalem - Holy Land, A biblical set of oil lamps (THE EVOLUTION OF ANCIENT OIL LAMPS IN THE HOLY LAND) starting from the ...
Biblical Oil Lamps: A Christian Gift of Light from the Life of Jesus
Oil lamps from Israel: fully functional replicas of archaeological finds from the time of Jesus and the Bible. Beautiful Jewish or Christian gifts crafted by hand from the earth of ...
Biblical Oil Lamps, Herodian, Samaritan, Byzatine, Caananite Styles
Victorie Inc. Biblical Oil Lamps; Herodian, Samaritain, Byzatine, and Caananite styles. Authentic reproductions of original Holy Land olive oil lamps used during ancient biblical ...
Bible Lamps
Biblicalmites.com offers Biblical oil lamps and coins including widow's mite lepton and prutah coins, tribute penny denarius, thirty pieces of silver shekel and coins by Herod and ...
ANCIENT BIBLICAL IRON AGE (OIL LAMP&OIL FILLER) 1000 BC (item #747392)
AWEIDAH GALLERY - JERUSALEM BASED GALLERY. Aweidah Gallery is pleasure to present this beautiful ancient biblical Iron Age set (Oil lamp and a beautiful reddish terracotta oil ...
Biblical Oil Lamps, Oil Lamps Used During Ancient Biblical Times
Biblical Oil Lamps. Authentic Reproduction Of Original Holy Land Oil Lamps Used During Ancient Biblical Times.
Oil Lamps and Vessels from the Holy Land
Ancient Biblical Style Oil Lamps and Vessels from the Holy Land
Biblical Oil Lamp
Biblical Oil Lamp "The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom." (Matthew 25:1)
Wickitkit Oil Lamps and Glass Oil Lamps - History of Oil Lamps
In biblical times, the use of the oil lamp was widespread, and was a frequently used metaphor and symbol in many biblical passages. Perhaps not remarkable given its purpose and ...