by Molly Froerer

Created on: November 11, 2009   Last Updated: January 15, 2010

Between the Book of Malachi at the end of the Old Testament and the Gospels that mark the beginning of the Christian era is a period of 400 years. This time is marked by continual shifts of power in the Middle East. One hundred years after Malachi closes, Alexander the Great demolished the Persian armies and established Greek rule over Palestine, which would last until 165 B.C., when Israel was again an independent state. This state was defeated in turn by the Romans in 63 B.C. The story of Hanukkah takes place during the shift between Greek rule and the independence of Palestine in 165 B.C.

Back in 323 B.C. when Alexander the Great died, four of his generals took control of his empire and fought among themselves, with the Jews caught in the middle. These disagreements, sometimes spilling over into armed conflict, continued for over 100 years. In about 175 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes became the ruler of Palestine and began persecuting the Jews. He did not just insult them by high taxes and prohibiting assembly, but by offending God.  He deposed the high priest and sold the office to a man not of the priestly linage. This action led to goods from the temple being sold for money. Such actions were an abomination to God and offended the children of Israel.

In 171 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanes went to war against Egypt. While there, reports filtered back to the Jews that he had been killed. The Jews celebrated by overthrowing the pseudo-priest Menelaus and otherwise celebrating the unpopular ruler's demise. Unfortunately for the Jews, Antiochus Epiphanes was very much alive. In fury, he returned to Jerusalem, massacred some 40,000 people in three days of fighting, desecrated the scrolls of the law in the temple, and sacrificed a pig on the altar, scattering its broth on everything in the temple. The unclean animal's flesh desecrated the temple and made it unfit for worship.

In response to the massacre and the defiling of the temple, Judah Maccabeus and his four brothers revolted against the king. They joined the Chasidim (who would become the Pharisees of the New Testament) to fight against the Syrians. The rebels always fought at a numeric disadvantage and had far fewer supplies and weapons. What they did have, though, was the support of the people and the support of God. The Jews, under the leadership of Maccabeus, finally drove Antiochus out of Jerusalem.

Once Jerusalem was safe, the first priority was to cleanse the temple in order to worship God and thank Him for the miraculous delivery of His people. This done, the Jews found only one small source of purified oil-enough to burn candles for one night. The menorah, or candelabrum, was supposed to burn every night, but it would take eight days to process and purify more oil. Then the miracle occurred. Just as the oil was multiplied for Elijah in the Old Testament, the oil was multiplied for the temple's candles. Despite the insufficient amount of oil, the menorah burned for eight nights, at which time new, purified oil was ready for the temple. The miracle of the oil is now celebrated by the eight nights of Hanukkah.

Resources: http://www.templemount.org/0240.html, http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm#Story, http://judaism.about.com/od/chanukah/a/hanukkahstory .htm

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