Kislev 3, 5785; from sunset December 3, 2024, to sunset December 4, 2024
(The third day of the ninth month)
As we approach the holiday of Hanukkah, we’re remembering events that led up to the rededication of the Temple after Antiochus IV and his army desecrated it. Hanukkah (Chanukkah), comes from the Hebrew verb “chanak” which means to dedicate or inaugurate. Hannukah is known as the “Feast of Dedication” and is referred to in that manner in John 10:22.
A few days ago, we learned that Judah Maccabee and his men overcame the Greek forces at Bethzur and immediately went up to Mount Zion. The 23rd of Cheshvan is recognized as the day they cleared away the defiled stones of the altar. There were still enemy troops in the citadel and some men were appointed to fight against them. Even so, the rest of them began work on cleansing the Temple and its courts. This work took about a month to complete; we’re catching up with them today in the midst of it.
And they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins. Then they rent their clothes, and mourned with great lamentation, and sprinkled themselves with ashes. They fell face down on the ground, and sounded the signal on the trumpets, and cried out to Heaven.
Then Judas detailed men to fight against those in the citadel until he had cleansed the sanctuary. He chose blameless priests devoted to the law, and they cleansed the sanctuary and removed the defiled stones to an unclean place.
They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. And they thought it best to tear it down, lest it bring reproach upon them, for the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until there should come a prophet to 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. They made new holy vessels, and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these gave light in the temple. They placed the bread on the table and hung up the curtains
Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken. – 1 Maccabees 4:38-51 (RSV)
Today, per tradition, the Maccabees cleared from the Temple the idolatrous images that had been erected there.
IX. (a) On the 3rd of Kislev the images were removed from the Court. – Megilat Ta’anit
The Megilat Ta’anit, literally “the Scroll of Fasting,” is an ancient text in the form of a chronicle which enumerates 35 eventful days on which the Jewish nation either performed glorious deeds or witnessed joyful events; most of which occurred during the Hasmonean era. These days were celebrated as feast days. Public mourning was forbidden on 14 of them, and public fasting on all.
To see all of our posts revolving around the history of the Maccabees, just click on the image above.
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