Hanukkah and Christmas

The connection between the Jewish festival of lights (Hanukkah) and the message of the Christian Gospel – hence the connection with Christmas.

Return of the exiled Jews to Jerusalem
The Old Testament records how Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, and how they then fell under Persian rule after the conquest of Babylon.

After the return of the Jews by decree of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, the Jews started to return to the Promised Land. Although many of the exiled Jews stayed in Mesopotamia because they had known no other home for generations, those who returned to the land of Judah were free to manage their own affairs, and to worship their God in the temple which they had been permitted to rebuild in Jerusalem.

This freedom under Persian rule was enjoyed by the Jews until Darius III was defeated in 333 BC by Alexander the great, and the whole Middle East was absorbed into the Greek empire. It is interesting to note that before the rise of this great empire, Greek influence had steadily been spreading into the world around them. Included with middle-eastern sciences in astronomy and mathematics (many stars still have Arabic names), Greek philosophy, mathematics, science, and culture had long preceded the advancing army of Alexander.

Greek occupation
Since their return from Mesopotamia, the Jews had been true to their Faith, and remained separate from those cultures and religions that surrounded them. The premature death of Alexander led to civil war between Alexander’s Generals. This led to the split-up of the empire under separate rulers. Judah came under the dominion of the Hellenistic Egyptian ruler Ptolemy who had declared himself to be Pharaoh, and encouraged the continuation of Egyptian culture and political structure. A liberal approach to other cultures and religions prevailed throughout the Egyptian influence.

It was during this period that the city of Alexandria was developed while Hellenistic learning and culture flourished. Eratosthenes studied there, and was the first to calculate the circumference of the Earth (with remarkable accuracy). Ptolemy wrote the Almagest and established the first Prime Meridian. The Library at Alexandria gained such fame throughout the world that its reputation still remains, more than two millennia after the Romans destroyed it by fire (perhaps unintentionally) when they torched the Egyptian navy. The economy boomed, ships passed by the huge Pharos (light house) that Ptolemy II ordered built at the entrance to the harbor; and Alexandria became the seat of learning for the region.

Ptolemy II wanted books from everywhere. He requested a copy of the Hebrew writings of Moses and the Prophets. The High Priest in Jerusalem responded by sending the Talmud and seventy-two of his best scribes to Alexandria to translate all these writings into Greek for the library. This work (known as the ‘Septuagint’) has formed the basis of subsequent translations of the Old Testament.

Antiochus Epiphanes
It was in this setting that the Seleucids brought forces from Antioch and invaded the Egyptians now under Ptolemy V. Judah then came under the rule of Antiochus III.

Unfortunately the times of religious and cultural liberalism were weakening the religious fervor of many Jews. Hellenistic culture permeated every facet of life, clothing styles became universal throughout the Greek empire, and athletics (involving the adulation of the gods and Olympus, and the practice of public nudity) led to a decline in religious practices and the lowering of standards.

A great despot and hater of religion, Antiochus IV Epiphanes had desecrated many heathen temples, and now turned his attention on the Temple in Jerusalem. In an action that came to be known as the “Abomination of Desolation” he plundered the riches of that temple and established a shrine to the heathen god Zeus. He imposed Greek lifestyles, philosophy, religions and culture. In an atmosphere of appeasement, the already declining Jewish culture and religion fell away in general, and Judah descended into a state of apostasy and heathenism.

Maccabeean revolt
There were those who steadfastly remained faithful in spite of the pressures they faced. Groups began to organize that later led to the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and others. It all came to a head when an old priest, Mattathias, became indignant one day and killed a fellow countryman who he saw offering a heathen sacrifice. He also killed the king’s Commissioner, and pulled down the altar. This incident lent courage to others who had been concerned about the decline in their religious observance. A general condition of unrest erupted into a full revolt that led to a great awakening both of the Jewish national identity and their faith in God. Led initially by the son of Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus, the revolt was formally organized and came to be known as the revolt of the Maccabees. They liberated Jerusalem in 164 BC.

Although the revolution did not initially achieve political independence for the Jews (they won that in 142 BC), Antiochus V Eupator did make changes that led once more to a freedom to worship, and the temple was once again consecrated. The leaders of the religious groups including the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots earned high respect for their perseverance and faithfulness. The Pharisees, in particular, became the great authorities and theologians of the day.

The Miracle of Hanukkah
Reportedly, although the olive harvest is in November, it took eight days to press olives and process the olive oil needed to light the candles. When the priests returned to the temple to resume worship and consecrate the temple, they found only one container of olive oil that had not been desecrated, and was therefore suitable for service in the temple. They were anxious that the oil would not last long enough. (The Feast of Tabernacles lasts eight days). Nevertheless, in faith, they lit the menorah. The oil lasted for the required eight days. The Jews honored God for this and named it the “Miracle of Hanukkah”.

The festival of lights, Hanukkah, has been observed since that time in order to commemorate, not only the miracle of Hanukkah, but also the return of the Jews to their faith, and a resumption of their worship at the temple in Jerusalem.

Christianity and Hanukkah
Up till now, this paper has read more like a history review than anything to do with the holiday season. The reader might be asking at this stage: “What has this all got to do with Christmas?”

Here is the link: God provided a unique window in time for the Advent of Our Lord. It was not long after the Macabeean Revolt and the Miracle of Hanukkah that the Romans arrived in 63 BC to make Judea a province of Rome. This set the scene for what we might call: “New Testament” times. Think about it. Travel and trade had become international. The known world spoke a common language. Jews could be found all over the world – particularly in Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Egypt. Judea had a limited autonomy in affairs of religious observance and domestic concerns. The temple in Jerusalem (a new one, built by King Herod the Great) had once again become the focus of Jewry, and during Passover (Pesach), Jews traveled from all over the known world to worship at the temple. The Pharisees were the recognized theological leaders, although it appears that by the time of Jesus, they seem to have become somewhat arrogant and hypocritical. Fortunately, not all were like that.

One of these Pharisees, Nicodemus by name, came to Jesus during the hours of darkness. It was probably a secret meeting. This conversation is reported in John’s Gospel, Chapter three, and leaves us with the most quoted bible verse: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. John 3:16. The verse, taken out of context, permits misconception as though mankind can achieve his own salvation merely by believing - an act of works.

One really needs to read the whole passage to appreciate the general focus of what Nicodemus and Jesus were discussing.

Nicodemus asks “. . . How can these things be?” and Jesus asserts that with man it is impossible, and explains the helplessness of mankind, and that Salvation cannot be achieved unless God miraculously intervenes. The direction of attention is from God to mankind, and not the other way round.

This is the message of Christmas:
As predicted by Old Testament prophecy, Jesus was born of a virgin, of the line of David, in the City of David (Bethlehem). This Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. John chapter one informs us that He IS God, and without Him was not anything made that was made. This perfect Being made Himself mortal so that He could be a substitute for those that believe in Him, and accept the blame and banishment of a perfect and just God. He then conquered death when He rose again and ascended into Heaven.

God did everything. That is why Jesus was born. That is what we celebrate at Christmas. You might disparage Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and presents, but God’s Word is forever, and His gift is for eternity.

Hanukkah celebrates a renewed faith in God. Christmas celebrates the coming of the Messiah that had been promised to those Jews for centuries. The Miracle of Hanukkah marked the beginning of the era in which that messiah was to come.

About seventy years after the Death of Jesus, the Temple was destroyed, the Jews dispersed, the new Christian church suffered persecution but grew throughout the known world, and Jerusalem now awaits another advent of Christ.


An Observation
It has been claimed that History repeats itself. This is probably not true. What happens is that mankind keeps making the same mistakes. The liberal environment in which the Jews lost their freedom to worship can be compared with the times of the Judges. God had settled the Israelites into Canaan, but they disobeyed Him by allowing the Philistines to live among them. Soon they were beholden to the Philistines. Appeasement doesn’t work. The bloody Maccabeean revolt was the only way that they could regain their freedom from Antioch. That would not have been necessary had they never lost that freedom in the first place.

Will the decline of the meaning of Christmas in the twenty-first century become a similar sacrifice of religious freedom?

PS
The date for Hanukkah is frequently confused with Christmas. This is because the two festivals occur around the same time of year. However, the date for Hanukkah is not set by the Gregorian Calendar, and so moves around somewhat. In 2008 the eight day celebration begins at sundown on December 21st. Christmas itself is an arbitrary date (some say an old heathen festival) because the actual birthday of Jesus cannot be established with any confidence.