Judea was then ruled by Antiochus, a Syrian king, who ordered everyone living in his kingdom, including the Jewish people, to reject their religion and worship Greek gods instead. Antiochus insisted that all Jews in his kingdom become Greek. When Jews resisted, Antiochus banned their holidays, burned their books and killed anyone who would not bow to the Greek gods.
Judah Maccabee, one of the Jewish people who refused to give up his religion, formed an army called the Maccabees. This small group of soldiers went to war against Anticohus’ huge Syrian army. The Maccabees, armed with sticks, stones and farm tools, won battle after battle against the Syrian soldiers, who fought with swords and javelins. How the Maccabees defeated its much larger enemy is a mystery as they were outnumbered a hundred to one, and, some say, a miracle. The Maccabees knew they had to win because if they didn’t, the Jewish people would be destroyed. The small Jewish army won because it felt the spirit of God inside them, and that gave them special strength.
After three years of fighting, the Maccabees returned triumphantly to Jerusalem, ready to celebrate. They were devastated to find their temple in ruins. The Jerusalem temple, the only one in the world at that time, was filthy and covered with blood, dirt and ashes. All the books, Torahs, and candlesticks were gone.
There was only one small jug of oil left for the menorah, which was a lamp with seven branches, one for each day of the week, and it was supposed to burn continuously. One jug would last one day. The Maccabees knew they could not keep the menorah burning while they went to get more oil. What happened next shocked everyone. The oil in this lamp burned for a second day and a third. In fact, the oil burned for eight days, which is why Chanukah is celebrated eight nights. More jugs of oil arrived. The Maccabees proceeded to restore the temple to the way it was supposed to be, a holy place where Jews could celebrate great days.
The story of Chanukah is not just about a military victory as much as it is about miracles, especially the miracle of a few people triumphing over tremendous odds in a struggle for the right to practice their religious beliefs. This is not a magical or supernatural miracle, but something inside everyone, the spirit to choose what a person believes is right, no matter how hard or dangerous that may be.
So as we remember this time in our history each year, we have chosen to celebrate with numerous traditions.