In my last post “Respect the Religious Beliefs of Others”, I began testing the idea that religious intolerance stems primarily from a lack of understanding regarding the beliefs and practices of a religion different than one’s own.
The first religion I studied about was Buddhism and the December 8th celebration of Bodhi Day, the day Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment (bodhi) and became the Buddha. In Part II of the series, I have explored the eight-day Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, which begins at sunset on December 14th.
The Hebrew word Hanukkah means “dedication”. To understand why that word was chosen brought me back to 168 BC in the city of Jerusalem, the center of Jewish religious worship.
Jerusalem had been under Greek rule since being conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC . While expanding Greek culture and practices throughout his empire, Alexander was reportedly tolerant of the Jewish people’s beliefs and traditions.
This religious tolerance came to an abrupt end, however, in 168-167 BC when the Greek King Antiochus IV invaded and took control of Jerusalem. Decrees were issued forbidding the worship of God. All Jewish rites were banned on pain of death, effectively outlawing the practice of Judaism. Their most sacred place of worship, the Second Temple, was desecrated. An altar to the Greek God Zeus Olympios, the “God of All Gods”, was erected and sacrifices were to be made at the feet of an idol in the image of the King.
While the goal of King Antiochus IV’s actions may have been the complete eradication of Judaism, he underestimated the courage and religious conviction of those he tried to suppress.
The Maccabean Revolt
In a town about twelve miles northwest of Jerusalem lived a religious family head by Mattathias Maccabee, a Jewish priest, and his five sons, John, Simon, Judah, Eliezer, and Jonathan.
One day (circa 167 BC) a group of Antiochus’s men arrived in town. They set up an altar, gathered all the Jews and tried to force them to sacrifice a pig to Zeus. A volunteer stepped forward but as he approached the altar Mattathias stabbed him to death. Chaos broke out and in the end all of Antiochus’s men were killed. Thus began what is known as the Maccabean Revolt, a struggle for religious freedom and the right to practice their chosen religion.
Despite the fact that the Greek army was vastly larger, better equppied and far more trained, the Maccabees, as they were called, under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, scored victory after victory by employing guerrila warfare tactics to outsmart and out-maneuver their oppressor. This was a miracle in itself.
While the revolt would continue for many years, by 164 BC the Maccabees had reclaimed the city of Jerusalem and their sacred place of worship, the Second Temple.
The Miracle of the Oil
With the Temple secured, the Jews began the process of restoring its religious integrity. This included the lighting of the Temple’s seven-branched golden candelabrum, known as the Menorah. However, as it would turn out there remained but one small flask of the specially prepared olive oil that could be burned in the Menorah according to Jewish law.
To make matters worse, the amount of oil contained in that one flask was only enough to light the candles of the Menorah for one day. To prepare the holy oil would take eight days. Regardless, they lit the Menorah as a part of the re-dedication of the Temple and miraculously burned for eight days.
This is why Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day religious holiday in the Jewish faith. It is a story of faith and of dedication, determination and triumph in the face of religious suppression.
The Celebration of Hanukkah
The middle candle, known as the “shamash” (meaning “attendant” or “helper”) is lit first and then used to light one candle each night of the eight day celebration. Blessings are recited while lighting the candles.
Happy Hanukkah!
The purpose of this series of posts on “Respect the Religious Belief of Others” is to find out if understanding the religious beliefs of another would improve one’s own ability to respect those beliefs. I can say with confidence that gaining a greater understanding of Hanukkah it certainly has for me.
For many years, every December, I have wished some of my closest friends, Happy Hanukkah! I will say it again this year but this time with a whole new understanding and appreciation of the words I am using.