Retaking Jerusalem and the Temple, they lit the holy lamp (the menorah) but had only enough oil for one night. He had waged war with King Ptolemy of Egypt over the possession of the Land of Israel. Print. T here’s a version of the story of Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday that begins on Sunday evening, that many modern-day celebrants probably know. You might also like Hanukkah 101. So while the Hanukkah tale is a historical story, and the miracles of the Torah are religious stories, the oil miracle is not historical, and it does not carry the spiritual weight of a Torah miracle. Antiochus III was victorious and the Land of … The Maccabees. Posted-on November 30, 2013 April 17, 2019 By line Byline dadmin. Miraculously, the lamp … After the Second Temple in Jerusalem was desecrated by the Seleucid Emperor Antiochus IV and his Greco-Syrian troops, Jewish priest Mattathias and his sons rebelled. The real story of Hanukkah begins with a revolt, for reasons that would resonate to this day – gross inequality and religious coercion. In order to relate the story that led up to Chanukah, we shall start with Antiochus III, the King of Syria, who reigned from 3538 to 3574 (222-186 B.C.E.). It is unfortunate that Jews are rarely exposed directly to the books of Maccabees, as these books are the primary sources for one of the most important chapters in Jewish history: the … For starters, unlike all other Jewish holidays (with the exception of modern day Israeli holidays instituted after the creation of the state of Israel), the story and holiday of Hanukkah is not in the Hebrew Bible. My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help. The Hanukkah story you know may be clicking into place right about know; that’s right… we’re talking about the evil King Antiochus! The Hanukkah story is based on historical events that took place in 165 BCE in Jerusalem. History: The Hanukkah Story. Hanukkah. David Frum: The real story of Hanukkah The canonically approved story of Hanukkah is an exceedingly strange one. Due to the many differences between Hellenism and Judaism and the fact that we wanted to be in control of ourselves, we were not at all loyal to Antiochus, and we never planned on supporting him. The traditional Hanukkah story is that when the Maccabees arrived to re-consecrate the Temple, it was in such disarray that there was only enough olive oil to keep the sacred seven-branch candelabrum (or menorah) lit for one day. Chanukkah is the story of a group of warriors (the Maccabees, later the Hasmoneans, led by Mattathias) who rose up against the Greeks (the Seleucids), united the Jews, reclaimed the Temple (Beit HaMikdash), and then lit one day's supply of oil which miraculously lasted for eight days, started a brand new holiday called …