Historical Background
After the conquests of Alexander the Great, Greek language and culture spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. Judea eventually came under the control of the Seleucid Empire.
Many Jews adopted parts of Greek culture, while others resisted changes that they believed threatened Jewish faith and practice. These disagreements created serious divisions within Jewish society.
The crisis became much worse under Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Jewish religious practices were restricted. The Jerusalem Temple was desecrated, and sacrifices there were changed to forms unacceptable to faithful Jews.
Mattathias and his sons began an armed resistance. His son Judah emerged as the best-known military leader and earned the name Maccabee.
The rebels regained Jerusalem and purified the Temple. On 25 Kislev, the sanctuary was rededicated and Jewish worship resumed.
The earliest accounts describe an eight-day celebration. Second Maccabees connects it with a delayed celebration resembling Sukkot. Centuries later, rabbinic tradition told the story of a small container of pure oil that miraculously burned for eight days.