The Jewish vacation of Hanukkah, which this 12 months runs from December 25 to January 2, truly has quite a bit in widespread with the Christian Christmas. That is the story…
Hanukkah Menorah
Hannukah is an annual Jewish competition that lasts eight days and is also called the Competition of Lights or the Feast of Dedication. Throughout Hanukkah, Jews mild a nine-branched candelabrum, referred to as a Menorah, from the Hebrew phrase for lamp, which they typically place in a window in order that it may be seen from the road.
This menorah is symbolic of the seven-branched oil lamp that was within the Jerusalem temple (Exodus 25:31-40). The unique temple menorah was lit every day by the priest with freshly consecrated olive oil and was by no means allowed to exit (Exodus 27:21). The Talmud forbids the usage of the seven-branched menorah exterior the temple, and so the custom arose that the Hanukkah menorah has eight branches plus a ninth lamp within the center, which is used to mild the others.
Historical past of Hanukkah
The background of Hanukkah lies within the second century B.C. AD, when the Greek military led by King Antiochus IV. Epiphanes (dominated 175 to 164 BC) marched into Jerusalem (2 Maccabees 5:11-14). Antiochus banned Jewish worship and tried to drive the inhabitants to worship Greek pagan gods as an alternative. In 167 BC AD he desecrated the temple when he erected an altar to the pagan god Zeus (1 Mak 1.41-48) and let the Menorah exit. These insults triggered a Jewish revolt (1 Macc 1:62-64) by brothers from the priestly Hasmonean household (1 Macc 2). They grew to become often called the Maccabees, believed to be derived from the Aramaic phrase for hammer.
There was a triumphal entry into Jerusalem by Simon Maccabee, who got here to ship Jerusalem (1 Maccabees 13:51). After the liberation of Jerusalem, the Jewish group in 164 (or 165) BC cleansed the temple of pagan worship, led by Judas Maccabeus (Judas the Maccabee) and his brothers (1 Macc 4:41-51). When the temple was prepared, they ceremoniously lit the menorah. Legend (whether or not true or not) has it that there gave the impression to be solely sufficient oil to maintain it burning for a day. Nonetheless, this small quantity of oil saved the candle burning for eight days, a time during which extra oil was produced. This was thought-about a miracle.
Hanukkah is inaugurated
Then “the entire meeting of Israel decreed that yearly throughout that interval the times of the dedication of the altar must be celebrated with pleasure and gladness for eight days, starting on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev” (1 Mak 4: 59).
Thus started the Jewish Feast of Dedication. It’s now higher often called Hanukkah (additionally spelled Hanukkah), from the Hebrew phrase for “consecration”. The Jewish month of Chislev (additionally spelled Kislev) is roughly equal to December. Hanukkah is a practice of most Jewish teams world wide. Customs range, however a typical customized is to mild the menorah, additionally referred to as a “chanukkiah,” with one candle for every of the eight days of the miracle. The ninth candle within the center is used to mild the others.
Hanukkah within the Bible
Hanukkah shouldn’t be talked about within the trendy type of the Jewish Bible, generally referred to as the Tanakh, which relies on the Masoretic Hebrew textual content. Nonetheless, the story is informed within the books of Maccabees. Key references are present in 1 Maccabees 4:36, 52-59 and a pair of Maccabees 1:18 and 10:5.
The books of Maccabees had been included within the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Jewish Bible broadly utilized by Jews within the Diaspora from the third century BCE till the early centuries of the Christian period. The Septuagint was additionally the Outdated Testomony for the early church when Greek was the lingua franca. So the books of Maccabees had been successfully within the historic Bible for each Jews and Christians. These books are omitted in most trendy Jewish and Protestant Bibles, though they continue to be within the Outdated Testomony in Catholic and Christian Orthodox Bibles. Nonetheless, Jews nonetheless confer with this story in Maccabees in Hanukkah.
Jesus and Hanukkah
As was the customized on the time, Jesus marked Hanukkah. Within the New Testomony, Jesus' participation in Hanukkah is talked about in John 10:22. The King James Model reads: “And there was a feast of dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.” The New Worldwide Model (NIV) provides a useful footnote that explains that the Feast of Dedication is Hanukkah. Just a few variations, keen on translating the which means of phrases and phrases moderately than actually translating the phrases themselves, have translated the Feast of Dedication as Hanukkah as it’s extra generally recognized right this moment. The New Life Translation (NLT) says, “It was winter and Jesus was in Jerusalem on the time of Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication.” The EasyEnglish model, which has been translated for individuals who would not have English as their first language, says this: “It was time for the Jewish vacation referred to as Hanukkah. It occurred in Jerusalem. It was chilly.'
When Jesus himself entered Jerusalem in triumph, it was an echo of the Maccabees' liberation. The cleaning of the Temple adopted, mirroring the cleaning of the Temple by the Maccabees at Hanukkah. Hanukkah is also called the Feast of Lights when the Temple was rededicated, and at Christmas Christians do not forget that Jesus referred to as himself the sunshine of the world (John 8:12). This analogy with Hanukkah, when the temple was rededicated, is stronger after we do not forget that Jesus additionally referred to himself as the brand new temple (John 2:18-22).
It was at this Hanukkah that “Jesus was within the temple courts, strolling alongside Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews who had been there gathered round him and stated, 'How lengthy will you retain us in suspense? In case you are the Messiah, inform us clearly.” Jesus replied, “I informed you, however you don’t imagine…” (John 10:23-25).
Early English translations of the Bible used to cross-reference John 10:22 to Maccabees. This was first accomplished by William Tyndale in his 1534 New Testomony, which cross-references John 10:22 to 1 Maccabees 4. The unique King James Model of 1611 referred to John 10:22 to 1 Maccabees 4:59. Many trendy English translations, which appear scurrilous about cross-referencing the Apocrypha, don’t add this useful reference, so most evangelical Christians lose this connection.
Relationship Hanukkah and Christmas
The courting of Christmas has lengthy been debated. Some individuals suppose it was meant to interchange the traditional pagan winter solstice held in Britain. Nonetheless, the primary recorded references to Christmas predate Yuletide in Britain and earlier than the arrival of St. Augustine in England within the sixth century, so this concept doesn’t make historic sense.
Hanukkah falls every year on the twenty fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev (additionally spelled Chislev), which overlaps with December, and Christmas falls on December twenty fifth. This can be one of many the explanation why early Christians adopted December 25 as Christmas. Hanukkah falls on Christmas yearly. Some years the start of Hanukkah and Christmas fall on the identical day. In 2024, sundown on December 25 coincides with the twenty fifth day of Kislev, the primary night time of Hanukkah, so Christmas Day and the start of Hanukkah fall on the identical day.
A lot of the early Christians got here from a Jewish background and Hanukkah was a part of their custom. Simply as Passover was changed by Easter, so Hanukkah appears to be changed by Christmas.
Candles
In nineteenth-century Germany, when massive numbers of Ashkenazi Jews and Christians lived aspect by aspect, the Hanukkah menorah custom might have influenced the Christian concept of Introduction candles. Lutheran Christians as an alternative developed the thought of lighting Introduction candles. The Introduction wreath with 5 candles has taken maintain in lots of church buildings right this moment, when a candle is lit on every Introduction Sunday and one central candle is lit at Christmas. On as of late, some Christians may also have a Menorah candle within the window.
Trendy Hanukkah
Till trendy occasions, Hanukkah was a comparatively minor Jewish vacation. Nonetheless, in nations the place Jews and Christians lived collectively, Hanukkah has developed to include lots of the customs and practices of the broader group which can be widespread at Christmas time and adapt them to Hanukkah. Consequently, Jews can sing Hanukkah songs, alternate presents, ship Hanukkah playing cards, and attend Hanukkah events. Some Jews actually have a Hanukkah bush. A Hanukkah bush will normally have a Star of David on the high of the tree.
The numerous connections between Hanukkah and Christmas are greater than coincidental.
