There is at least one exception to what I just said. We do celebrate a holiday mentioned in the New Testament, but not mentioned in the Tanakh.

"And it was at Jerusalem, the Feast of Dedication (Hanukah), and it was winter. And Yeshua walked in the Temple in Solomon's porch. Then the Judeans gathered around him, and said to him, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly?' Yeshua answered them, "I told you, and you did not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name these bear witness of me."' (2)

It is obvious from the context that Yeshua was visiting the Temple during Hanukah. Hanukah was a holiday that was instituted after the Israeli victory over the Greek-Syrians in the Maccabean Revolt, when the Jews gained victory over their oppressors. This occurred in 165 BCE, in a period of time known as the Inter-Testamental period, that is, after the Old Testament was written, but prior to Yeshua. Therefore, it is not mentioned in the Tanakh. This story is told in the Apocrypha, which is a set of good Jewish books not found in Jewish Bibles. If you would like to read the story for yourself, you can find the Apocrypha in Catholic Bibles. For this reason, I would recommend that you purchase yourself a Catholic Bible. (I won't tell on you.)

Hundreds of years before, in about 333 BCE, Alexander the Great and his armies had conquered the Middle East, including Israel, and went on to conquer additional land, even to the Indus River in India. Although Alexander promoted Greek religion, culture, and religion, he didn't force it on his subjects. Alexander died at the age of only 33 (just like Yeshua!), after which his huge empire was split into four much smaller empires to be ruled over by his four generals. Those who came after Alexander were much less tolerant of non-Greek cultures and religion.

Israel was on a Land bridge" highly prized by the Ptolemy dynasty that ruled Egypt, and by the Selucid Dynasty that ruled the Syrian portion of the divided Greek Empire. Eventually, the Selucids gained the upper hand, and conquered Israel. Antiochus IV came to rule over Israel. He was an extremely cruel and intolerant king. He forbade circumcision, Sabbath observance, reading of Torah, or celebration of the Feasts. The penalty for observing these commandments of YHWH was death. He encouraged Greek culture and religion, and found many Jews who willingly and even happily collaborated to turn Israel into a Greek society.

The pagans had defiled the Temple, even sacrificing a pig on the altar. The Jews, under the Hasmonean leadership of Mattathias and his sons, eventually won a miraculous victory over the pagans. According to legend, when they went to re-light the Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) of the Temple, they discovered a vial of oil which was only adequate to keep the light burning for one day. Nevertheless, they re-light the Ner Tamid, and began a search for sanctified oil that could keep the Ner Tamid burning. The search took 8 days, during which time the Ner Tamid miraculously kept burning.

Curiously, the story of the Ner Tamid burning miraculously for 8 days is not told in the books of the Maccabees at all. It is perhaps a later invention that was added to the story of the Hanukah story. Originally, Hanukah was made into an 8-day festival as an imitation of Sukkot, which was also an 8-day festival, but which the Jews were unable to observe because of the war that was raging.

Hundreds of years later, the Story of the one-day supply of oil lasting for 8 days was written into the Talmud.(3) The military victory of the few against the many was down-played. However, Zecheriah 4:6 is still quoted during Hanukah: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."

Jews have traditionally shunned wanting to celebrate military victories. This might be one of the reasons for inventing the story of the Ner Tamid burning miraculously for 8 days on a one-day supply of oil. There is another reason for de-emphasizing the military victory: The Hasmonean Dynasty was originally anti-assimilationist. They preserved Jewish religion and fought off pagan religious influences. Jews were again free to celebrate their faith without pagan influences.

However, future generations of the Hasmonean Dynasty became pro-assimilationist. They promoted Greek culture, Greek language, and even Greek religion. As a result, the Talmud is very quiet about the Hasmoneans, sort of ignoring a family that started out good, but went bad, succumbing to the paganism in the world at that time.

Hanukah comes at a time of the year when Christians are celebrating Christmas. As a result, it is often identified as a sort of Jewish Christmas. Actually, Hanukah was celebrated for hundreds of years before Christmas was first celebrated, and therefore has no historical relationship with Christmas.(4) The story of the vial of oil lasting for 8 days can't begin to compare with the appeal of the story of the virgin birth of a baby in a manger. Moreover, as we celebrate the re-dedication of the Temple, we do so with the knowledge that the Temple was completely destroyed in 70 CE.(5) So we end up celebrating a Temple that no longer exists.

We are not completely without a Temple. Rav Shaul spoke of our bodies as being temples of the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit): "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which is what you are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God."(6)

Also: "Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Messiah? Shall I then take the members of Messiah and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! What? Do you not know that he which is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, The two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).' But the one who joins himself to YHWH is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is without the body, but he that commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:15-20.

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what partnership has Messiah with Beliel, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of God..." 2 Corinthians 6:14-16a.

Let us today rededicate our temples, our bodies, which are the temples of the Ruakh HaKodesh. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

6) I Cor 3:16-19a

© Petah Tikvah Magazine
From Petah Tikvah Magazine Vol. 16, No. 4