First book of maccabees hanukkah miracles

In the first video of the series, rabbi fohrman introduces the book of the. The new testament mentions jesus visiting the temple during hanukkah john 10. Historicity of the hanukkah miracle the sabbath sentinel. In 168 bce, the ruler of the syrian kingdom, antiochus epiphanes iv, stepped up his campaign to quash. What you need to know about the hanukkah story my jewish. The story is told in the first book of maccabees, and retold in the second book of maccabees. Hanukkah, 1 and 2 maccabees, and the apocrypha biblical.

The story of hanukkah is alluded to in the first book of maccabees, chapter 4. Dec 15, 2020 it is true that hanukkah means dedication in hebrewa dedication that predates any mention of a miracle of light. To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of hanukkah. This evening, the jewish holiday of hanukkah begins. It is intended for reading in public or in private during the holiday. The syrian king was set on hellenizing all of his conquered territories and the people therein. It is true that hanukkah means dedication in hebrew a dedication that predates any mention of a miracle of light. According to i maccabees, the celebration of hanukkah was instituted by judas. Hanukkah, which means dedication, commemorates the miracle of light that. If you look at the books of maccabees, books that are not part of the hebrew bible, the miracle is the military victory of the maccabees over the greeksyrian army.

God makes a comeback in the second book of maccabees. Simon learns that miracles arent just for the maccabees. Therefore, it was a miracle and to celebrate, we light a menorah for eight nights. As the memory of the maccabees was allowed to fade, the miracle of divine intervention filled the void. Fortyfour years after the first hanukkah, two books were written about the maccabean wars and the rededication of the temple in jerusalem. While we will never know for sure why jews excluded these books and why. The true meaning of hanukkah the spectator truth conquers all. The first book of maccabees the first book of maccabees, compiled sometime after 120 b.

They denied the first book of maccabees, which recorded this in great detail, a place in the biblical canon, despite the fact that it was authored in hebrew by a friend of the court early in the reign of john hyrcanus 5104 b. In order to stand strong, we must empower the talented youth. Hanukkah then and now free ebook how to celebrate hanukkah. Dec 09, 2020 in the second book of maccabees, for example, the narrator instructs jews to remember not oil or miracles but the woman with seven sons the most remarkable of all and deserving of special honor.

Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days beginning on the 25th of kislev. The miracle of hanukkah sets the stage for a faithful jewish. The books of the maccabees, which record the origins of the hanukkah story and of the hasmoneandynasty, are represented by josephus in the jewish antiquities, book 12 chapter 5 through book chapter 7. The first book is written from the perspective of those in the countryside, where the maccabees conducted a guerilla war against the greeks while taking ample time to slaughter hellenized jews. Hanukkah or chanukah is an annual jewish celebration in the late fallearly winter that dates back to circa 164 bc or the intertestamental period between the old and new testaments and was also referred to as festival of lights or feast of the dedication or feast of the maccabees. The maccabee family isnt down with that, so they lead a violent revolt. In short, the first two books of the maccabees detail a rev. One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said. Hanukkah the festival of light and freedom that belongs. The heroism of hanukkah jewish theological seminary of.

Heres your cliffnotes of the first book, taking place between 175 bce and 4 bce. Part of the bible according to the catholic and orthodox canons. Dec 16, 2020 in the second book of maccabees, for example, the narrator instructs jews to remember not oil or miracles but the woman with seven sons the most remarkable of all and deserving of special. Therefore, we should thank rabbi arthur chiel who published the first book of maccabees, chapters 14 as a separate booklet over twenty years ago under the title the scroll of hanukkah rabbi arthur chiel, megillat hanukkah, new york, 1980, 61 pp. In short, the first two books of the maccabees detail a revolt led by the patriarch mattathias and his five sons against the hellenistic king antiochus, who had barred jewish religious practice, desecrated the holy temple, levied high taxes and forced the population to adopt greek rituals and norms. The books of the maccabees, which recount the historical events surrounding the genesis of hanukkah, were not included in the biblical canon. Circumcision, sabbath worship, teaching the torah first five books of the old. Hanukkah is a jewish festival commemorating the recovery of jerusalem. The exploits of judah maccabee galilee of the nations. Dec, 2020 the first book is written from the perspective of those in the countryside, where the maccabees conducted a guerilla war against the greeks while taking ample time to slaughter hellenized jews. In this gruesome tale, our mother and her children are arrested by antiochus, who attempts to force them all to eat pork as a test. Dec 11, 2020 it is true that hanukkah means dedication in hebrew a dedication that predates any mention of a miracle of light. The talmud 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.

It describes the refusal of mattathias to perform pagan religious rites, the ensuing jewish. The ziz and the hanukkah miracle this isnt a new book, but it is. The books of the first and second maccabees offer similar accounts. Here are a few books that we discovered for the first time this year and are. Therefore, we should thank rabbi arthur chiel zl and the rabbinical assembly who published a hebrewenglish edition of the first book of maccabees, chapters 14 as a separate booklet 40 years ago. It was a summary of a five volume series written by jason of cyrene 2 maccabees 2. Hanukkah for dummies, from judah maccabee to the days of. Then, on the last night of hanukkah, a third blessing is added. First, we find a good reason why hanukkah lasts eight days. All they had to do was read the books of maccabees, in which the entire story of the recapture and rededication of the temple by the hasmoneans is described in detail. The miracle of the oneday supply of oil miraculously lasting eight days is first described in the talmud, committed to writing about 600 years after the events described in the books of maccabees. In talmudic times there was related a story of the miracle of finding a small amount of ritually pure oil that beyond expectation burned for eight days. Dec 11, 2020 another historical work completed after the hanukkah story is called the second book of maccabees. Dec, 2020 it is true that hanukkah means dedication in hebrew a dedication that predates any mention of a miracle of light.

About hanukkah kkl jnf keren kayemeth leisrael jewish. The historic events of the festival are described in the first book of maccabees, one of the books of the apocrypha. The story of how hanukkah came to be is contained in the books of 1 and 2 maccabees, which are not part of the jewish canon of the hebrew bible. The word maccabee is an acronym for the hebrew words that mean who is like you among all powers, g. But hanukkah is also known as the festival of lights, and this is because immediately following the miraculous deliverance, god provided another miracle of provision. Basically, antiochus is a greek ruler who outlaws the jewish religion and customs. Hanukkah, the jewish festival of lights, celebrates the bravery of the maccabees and the miracle of light. New to us hanukkah books to celebrate the season books my. The first book of the maccabees tells another version of the story. In the second book of maccabees, for example, the narrator instructs jews to remember not oil or miracles but the woman with seven sons the most remarkable of all and deserving of special. While certainly a complex question at first glance, the answer.

Skipping ahead, theyre able to reclaim the second temple in jerusalem and rededicate it. After defeating the syriangreeks in the battlefield, the first of the two miracles celebrated on hanukkah, the maccabees returned to jerusalem and to the temple. May 25, 2011 what is the miracle we are supposed to publicize. Every year, we retell the story of the heroic maccabees and the miracle of the oil. The first book of maccabees all chapters the bible. These chapters are primarily a compressed version of the first book of maccabees, supplemented by some. It is a dedication to the installation of the hasmonean dynasty by the maccabees after they finally subdued all of seleucids jewish allies, taking control of the priesthood, jerusalem, and the future of israel. The practice is enshrined in the talmud, which describes the miracle of the o. The books of first and second maccabees are still accessible today only because they were incorporated into catholic and orthodox christian bibles.

The book is held as canonical scripture by the catholic, orthodox, and oriental orthodox churches, but not by protestant denominations nor any major bra. Hanukkah is one of the few jewish holidays not mentioned in the bible. The maccabees firsthand account of hanukkah teachers guide. Among the jews, these books are called sefarim hitzonim, external books, or in greek, apocrypha, and the rabbis expressed their opinions about such books in no uncertain terms in mishnah. From a historical and cultural perspective, hanukkah might be judaisms most. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days, which is the length of the celebration recorded in the first book of maccabees and which is affirmed by josephus. The book of maccabees recounts how the jews were able to emerge victorious due to their edge in strategy and bravery. Hanukkahs true meaning is about jewish survival the conversation. The history and traditions of the festival of lights. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The holiday of hanukkah marks the victory of the hasmoneans also known as the maccabees in the revolt against the seleucid empire, a hellenistic state that existed in western asia during the second temple period. In another allusion to the hanukkah miracle, traditional hanukkah foods. The maccabees were a band of jewish freedom fighters who freed judea from the syriangreek occupiers during the second temple period.

Three years to the day after antiochus mad rampage kislev 25, 165 bce, the maccabees held a dedication hanukkah of the temple with proper sacrifice, rekindling of the golden menorah, and eight days of celebration and praise to god. Hanukkah in the book of maccabees galilee of the nations. The main events associated with hanukkah occurred between 165 and 163 bce. Dec 11, 2020 in short, the first two books of the maccabees detail a revolt led by the patriarch mattathias and his five sons against the hellenistic king antiochus, who had barred jewish religious practice. While its date varies in the western calendar, in the hebrew calendar hanukkah always falls on the 25th day of kislev. The first book is written from the perspective of those in the countryside, where the maccabees conducted a guerrilla war against the greeks, while taking ample time to slaughter hellenized jews. Dec 10, 2020 it is true that hanukkah means dedication in hebrew a dedication that predates any mention of a miracle of light. I maccabees presents a historical account of political, military, and diplomatic events from the time of judaeas relationship with antiochus iv epiphanes of syria reigned 175164163 bce to the death 54 bce of simon maccabeus, high priest in jerusalem. This book is part of the apocrypha, a collection of intertestamental writings that are accepted as historical by jewish people, but are not part of the old testament. In the first part of this series we did not elaborate on the horrors committed by antiochus iv, nor did we discuss at length the mighty triumphs of the maccabees. Dec 22, 2019 the first book of maccabees, written shortly after the holiday was created, makes no mention of the candle ritual whatsoever, nor of the wellknown story of the miracle of the little cruse of oil that lasted for eight days instead of one. Dec, 2020 therefore, we should thank rabbi arthur chiel zl and the rabbinical assembly who published a hebrewenglish edition of the first book of maccabees, chapters 14 as a separate booklet 40 years ago. Hanukkah celebrates the victorious jewish war for independence in the second century b. The miracles, mysteries and histories of hanukkah part 3 hanukkah in the book of maccabees so far weve seen how the prophet daniel predicted those events that are recorded for us in the book of maccabees namely the sufferings of the jewish people at the hands of antiochus ivand the miraculous revolutionary response of the hasmonean priest.

According to first maccabees, religious persecution by antiochus. Whereas the first book features very little of the divine, god abounds in the second book. After kindling the first candle, and while the others are being lit on following nights, a prayer is recited, declaring the miracles yhvh performed in those days at this season through the brave priestly family of the maccabees. The first book of the maccabees first, and obey the kings commandment, as all nations have done, and the men of juda, and they that remain in jerusalem. Seven sons had been captured by the syrians in 200 bc. The book of 1 ma cca bees in the apocrypha describes vividly some of the atrocities committed to the jewish people under the regime of antiochus iv. See the feast of dedication hanukkah from a christian.

So, they invented a new ending that repositions god as the hero of the storya vessel of oil that lasts for eight days in the rededicated temple because of a miracle. Many original prayers, speeches, and poems embedded in first maccabees reflect the strong religious feelings of the new rulers. The original hebrew is lost and the most important surviving version is the greek translation contained in the septuagint. It is true that hanukkah means dedication in hebrewa dedication that predates any mention of a miracle of light. Therefore, we should thank rabbi arthur chiel zl and the rabbinical assembly who published a hebrewenglish edition of the first book of maccabees, chapters 14 as a separate booklet 40 years ago under the title megillat hanukkah new york, 1980. The first book of maccabees, also called 1 maccabees, is a book written in hebrew by an anonymous jewish author after the restoration of an independent jewish kingdom by the hasmonean dynasty, around the late 2nd century bc. No mention is made in the books of maccabees regarding the tradition of. It is traditional to eat foods fried in oil during the eight days of hanukkah to commemorate the. The book of maccabees has a lot of information that is not so much related to hanukkah, but its always in the same vein of giving us historical insight as to what happened during those years that the church says god was silent. The first book of maccabees recounts that the dedication of the rebuilt altar was celebrated with sacrifices for eight days 4. Why were the rabbis so uncomfortable with the maccabees. Oct 19, 2020 hanukkah is called the feast of dedication because it celebrates the maccabees victory over greek oppression and the rededication of the temple.