What is Hanukkah? Hanukkah is a celebration that starts on 25th of Kislev on the Jewish calendar, which means it falls sometime in November or December on the Julian calendar. This celebration lasts 8 days, commemorating the rededication of the altar and Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC.
The Temple, as well as Israel, had been taken over by the Greeks over the years prior to 167 BC. Under Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Seleucid Empire, Jewish ways were outlawed. He raided the Temple and carried away all the articles within the Temple and all the gold and silver he could find. A statue of Zeus was erected on top of the altar, and pigs were sacrificed regularly to Zeus. Antiochus declared himself god, Zeus incarnate, and demanded worship to himself as Zeus. A sacrifice to Zeus (Antiochus) was to be conducted on the 25th of every month, in celebration of Antiochus’s birthday. (By the way, Zeus’s “birthday” was December 25th.) Every Jewish town was to sacrifice a pig to Zeus, and all Scriptures were to be burned.
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I am so excited to be writing to all of you! If you are on the Biblical Foundations International web site, you are hungry for understanding more of God, and so am I. With that thought in mind, I am sharing with you my thoughts and understanding about Hanukkah. Whether you are just starting your journey into understanding this holiday, or have celebrated it for years, I hope you enjoy either learning something new or just reviewing your affection for this special holiday that is frequently misunderstood and misrepresented.
Enjoy, and Happy Hanukkah!
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