I found this article interesting. When I was working as an elementary librarian, I loved reading the Chanukah story HERSCHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS by Eric Kimmel, to my classes. I think I liked it even better than the Christmas stories.
The Maccabees fought a guerrilla war against Antiochus’s forces for three years, before recapturing Jerusalem in 166 BCE. They immediately began to cleanse the Temple of its ritual impurities. And on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev (roughly corresponding to December), they made the first burnt offering in the rededicated Temple.
That was the first Chanukah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew. And it has been celebrated beginning on the 25th of Kislev every year since.
I will post one question and answer over each of the eight days of Chanukah.
by David Holzel
December 8, 2009
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared December 2008
Chanukah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, begins at sundown on December 11 with the lighting of one candle on the eight-candle menorah. Every night an additional candle burns, until the eighth night, when eight candles are lighted. To celebrate, we’ve answered eight questions about the mysteries of Chanukah – one for each night. And yes, one of the mysteries involves the proper spelling.
1. What is Chanukah?
To put yourself in the right frame of mind, think 2,000 years ago. Better yet, think 2,200ish years ago. Thanks to Alexander the Great, Hellenistic kings rule in the Middle East, and Hellenistic culture has been embraced by the region’s elites.
Now focus on Judea – at the time, the area immediately surrounding and including Jerusalem. It was from the mountains and caves of Judea that a rebellion of traditionalist Jews, known as the Maccabees, broke out against the rule of Antiochus, the Damascus-based Hellenistic king, and those Jews who had abandoned their traditions in favor of Hellenistic ways.
King Antiochus tried to root out local religions in his empire. In Judea, that meant outlawing circumcision, kosher food and the Jewish Sabbath and, in 169 BCE, introducing pagan sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem.
To put yourself in the right frame of mind, think 2,000 years ago. Better yet, think 2,200ish years ago. Thanks to Alexander the Great, Hellenistic kings rule in the Middle East, and Hellenistic culture has been embraced by the region’s elites.
Now focus on Judea – at the time, the area immediately surrounding and including Jerusalem. It was from the mountains and caves of Judea that a rebellion of traditionalist Jews, known as the Maccabees, broke out against the rule of Antiochus, the Damascus-based Hellenistic king, and those Jews who had abandoned their traditions in favor of Hellenistic ways.
King Antiochus tried to root out local religions in his empire. In Judea, that meant outlawing circumcision, kosher food and the Jewish Sabbath and, in 169 BCE, introducing pagan sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Maccabees fought a guerrilla war against Antiochus’s forces for three years, before recapturing Jerusalem in 166 BCE. They immediately began to cleanse the Temple of its ritual impurities. And on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev (roughly corresponding to December), they made the first burnt offering in the rededicated Temple.
That was the first Chanukah, which means “dedication” in Hebrew. And it has been celebrated beginning on the 25th of Kislev every year since.
2 comments:
Thank you for this lovely post.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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