by Yocheved Schlachter

Created on: December 13, 2008   Last Updated: December 20, 2008

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is more than just a time for family to gather, exchange presents and light the menorah. It has a special significance in the history of the Jewish people. Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, is a celebration of a time in history when God performed miraculous wonders for the Jewish people and helped their pitifully small army prevail against the massive entirety of the Greek army.

In order to fully understand the Hanukkah story, one must first have a basic understanding of the tenets of the Jewish faith. The story takes place during what was known to the Jews as the Second Temple Era. Returning to the Land of Israel after an exile in Babylon, during which their First Temple had been destroyed, the Jews had immediately set about building the Second Temple. As the only monotheistic religion at the time, the Jews were constantly battling the influences of those who wished to force them into paganism. But here, in their own land, they were free to worship as they pleased and they set about resuming the Temple services. Every day, sacrifices were offered upon the altar in the Temple, and the menorah was lit. Nothing was as important to the Jewish people than preserving their way of life- the service of God, the study of the Torah, and the Temple Service.

Enter onto the scene, Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great was in the process of fulfilling his life dream, which was to rule the world. When Alexander conquered ancient Israel, he was relatively benevolent in his rule. He allowed the Jews to continue to worship their God and did not attempt to force them to acknowledge the popular Assyrian gods. Life continued on, and if the Jews were not their own rulers, at least they were in their own land and living with a relatively great degree of autonomy.

Unfortunately, after Alexander's death, the situation for the Jews began to deteriorate rapidly. Alexander's empire was broken up into pieces and by the time Antiochus IV ascended the throne, the peaceful existence the Jews had heretofore known was a thing of the past. Not content to have a nation under his rule that did not conform to the the prevailing culture and religion, no matter how peaceable and benign they were, Antiochus IV began an oppressive campaign to Hellenize the Jews. He banned the practicee of their religion and appointed a Hellenist High Priest in the Temple. He further defiled the sacred Temple services by requiring a sacrifice of pigs, a forbidden animal to the Jews,

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