Rededication of the Temple

And now that the generals of Antiochus’ armies were defeated so many times, Judah assembled the people together and told them that after these many victories that God had given them, they should go up to Jerusalem, purify the Temple, and offer the customary sacrifices. But when he came with all the people to Jerusalem, they found the Temple deserted, its gates burnt down, and plants growing in the Temple of their own accord on account of its desolation. He began to lament with his men, for they were quite distraught at the sight of the Temple. So he chose some of his soldiers to fight against those guards who were in the citadel, until he could purify the Temple. When therefore he had carefully purged it and had brought in new vessels, such as the lampstand [menorah], the table [for the shew-bread], and the altar [of incense], which were made of gold, he hung the curtains from the doors and replaced the doors themselves. He also took down the altar [of burnt-offering] and built a new one of stones that he gathered that had not been hewn with iron tools [see Exodus 20:22]. So on the five and twentieth day of the month of Kislev [December 165 BCE], which the Macedonians call Apelleos, they lighted the lamps that were on the candlestick [menorah], offered incense upon the altar, laid the loaves upon the table, and offered burnt offerings upon the new altar. Now, it so happened that these things [the rededication] occurred on the very same day three years ago on which their holy service had ceased and been reduced to an impure and profane form of worship. For so it was that the Temple that Antiochus defiled remained desolate for three years. This happened in the one hundred and forty-fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Apelleos, and in the one hundred and fifty-third Olympiad. But it was now dedicated anew, on the same day, the twenty-fifth of the month Apelleos, in the one hundred and forty-eighth year, and in the one hundred and fifty-fourth Olympiad. And this desolation came to pass according to the prophecy of Daniel, which was given four hundred and eight years before, for he revealed that the Macedonians would destroy it.

Now Judah together with his fellow citizens celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the Temple for eight days and omitted no sort of pleasures. Rather, he feasted them [his fellow citizens] upon very rich and splendid sacrifices. He honored God with hymns and psalms and delighted them [his fellow citizens]. They were so delighted at the revival of their customs after a long hiatus and at unexpectedly having regained the freedom of their worship that they made it a law for their descendants: that they should keep a festival on account of the restoration of their Temple worship for eight days. And from that time to this, we celebrate this festival and call it the Festival of Lights. I suppose the reason to give it this name was because this liberty was beyond our wildest hopes. Judah also rebuilt the walls around the city and having erected high towers against the incursions of enemies, he stationed guards in them. He also fortified the city from Beth Tsur [in the mountains of Hebron] in order that it might serve as a citadel in case of emergency that might come from our enemies.

Translated byWilliam Whiston, adapted byCarol Bakhos, in consultation withRalph Marcus.