Hanukkah

The History of Hanukkah Over 2000 years ago, Israel was ruled over by the Syrian-Greek empire. The Hanukkah story begins under the reign of King Antiochus III, from 222-186 B.C.E. At the beginning he was somewhat favorable to the Jewish people but when he lost a battle against the Roman Empire and was forced to pay heavy taxes, he passed the burden onto the people. When Antiochus died he was succeeded by his son Seleucus IV, who began to oppress the Jews of the Holy Land. Rather than physical oppression, he attempted to strip the Jews of their Judaism through...

From the victory of Judah Macabee over the mighty Syrian-Greek Empire to the small vial of pure oil that kept the Menorah illuminated for eight whole days, this is the miraculous festival of Hanukkah! Hanukkah – a story of overcoming impossible odds. Over 2000 years ago, the Holy Land was under the control of the Syrian-Greek Empire. Alongside the physical threat to the Jewish population was the Hellenist influence in the Holy Land, such as Idol worship and the Syrian way of life, the complete opposite of the values of Judaism. The high priest, Yochanan, rallied against it, especially against...