Hanukkah begins this evening for our Jewish friends and others
who might join them in their celebrations. I pray that those who
are celebrating have a wonderful eight days! In the Eerdmans
Dictionary of Early Judaism Daniel K. Falk summarizes Hanukkah
as follows: “The Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah in Hebrew)
commemorates the restoration of the Temple and dedication of the
alter by Judas Maccabaeus in 164 B.C.E. It is celebrated for
eight days, beginning on the anniversary of the defilement of
the alter under Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 167 B.C.E., the 25th
of Kislev (see 1 Macc. 1:59), the ninth month (it usually falls
in December).” According to Falk ancient sources agree on the
following traditions, “…it was observed in the Temple with
feasting, abundant sacrifices, rejoicing, songs of praise, and
music”, but the sources differ on matters related to other
aspects like precedent (Solomon in 1 Kings 8 or Hezekiah in 2
Chronicles 29), and the origin of the eight candle menorah (the
“one days oil lasting eight