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Hanukah a Jewish festival of Religious freedom
By Lynda Kohn
Hanukkah is basically a Jewish holiday celebrating a miracle that is supposed to occur over two thousand years ago. It is in the first book of Maccabees
The story of Hanukkah is found in not found in Jewish scripture. It is in the Apochrypha,Deuterocannonical books
It is believed to happpen 165 bc or bce( before commom era). Judah Maccabee, aka Judah the Hammer led a successful revolt that led to the emancipation of the Jews from Syrian rule. They in turn were ruling under Alexander the Great under the vantage point of Hellenism. That is every land, nation, culture was to be just like the Greeks. The native culture was swept away. This policy was for every inhabitant, all cultures, nations in the lands that were conquered by the Seleucids. However it was only the Judeans , as far as anyone knows,who refused to assimilate and give up their religion, culture. The Syrians, Seleucids with their leader Antiochus forced complete assimulation for its subjects, including Jews. The goal was to do their best to destroy the Judaism and Jewish culture. They were so insensitive to the Jew's religious sensibilities, they even used pigs as sacrifices in the Hebrew temples. Pigs, hogs, anything porcine is taboo to Jews then and now. Please note I am no way condemning Syrians of today.
With the destruction of the second temple, 70 AD, CE, there was the miraculous burning of the lamp for seven days. The oil was only supposed to last for one day. The significance of this is that lampstand became an eternal symbol to the right of religious freedom. Something that everybody of what ever faith should be grateful for.
Hanukkah or Chanukkah is not mentioned in the Feasts of the Lord Leviticus 23. In fact its not even in the Jewish Bible aka the Old Testament. Personally I think its quite ironic a fairly major Judaic Observance is found in the Aprochrypha as its known to the Prostestants and the Deuterooconanical books as they are called by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians. In the story of Maccabees, the pious priest Mattathias with his five sons began to a revolt to overthrow the Seleucid-Syrian oppressors. One of his sons was Judah Maccabee. The result for the uprise was Mattatias was forced to lead a Pagan ceremony. That is one of the Greek Gods, Goddesses.* There was much fighting, battles between the Judaens and their enemies. Encouraged by their faith eventually the tides turned and the People of Judea were successful in overthrowing their foes and once again being free to practice, Judaism, to observe its tenets. Since the oil burned for seven evenings, a Menorah, a candle holder that can hold eight candles is used. Each successive night a candle is lit until every seven candles are lit. The eighth candle holder is for the candle that lights the rest of the candles. A game consisting of a top with four sides with Hebrew letters is played by children. This top is called a Dreidel. Gifts are given for the eight days too. The fact that Hanukkah occurs so close to Christmas is purely coincidental. There is no corelation.
The Jewish holiday is observed in the Hebrew calendar on the twenty-fifth day of Kislev. It is celebrated for eight days. The reason for the festive day falling on different dates each year is the Hebrew calendar is Lunar and therefore the dates fluctuate every year. Usually it falls somewhere between mid November to late December. While Hanukkah is not on the Old Testament aka Holy Scriptures, there is a belief by some Biblical scholors Daniel predicted it in Daniel 8:21,22. The exact wording may be different with each Bible version. This is as its in the NASB (New American Standard Bible). "The shaggy goat represents the Kingdom of Greece. and the large horn that is between hsi eyes is the first king. The brokenorn and the for hornsthatarose in its place represent four kingdoms which will arise from his nation." One of those four nations is believed to the Seulucid-Syrians. Please note by Pagan I am not referring to Wicca. Just the record Wicca is NOT devil worship, Satanism. Wiccans don't believe in such an entity. |
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That was a fascinating intro to Judaism that contained so much that I found it a bit confusing but still very interesting at the same time.
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This intel was contributed by mugwort
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