It was now winter and Jesus was in Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication. He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade. Circa 32 AD, John 10:22-23 NLT

Today begins the eight day Hanukkah observance (sometimes Chanukah). Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC. Candles are lit each day in commemoration.

The Bible doesn’t provide the historical context regarding the Festival of Dedication, however we know that it was a Jewish observance in Jesus’s time. The story of the Festival’s origin is found in the Talmud (Note 1). The Jewish people had been living under the oppressive rule of the Greeks. Practice of the Jewish religion had been outlawed and the Israelites forced to worship Greek gods. The Temple had been desecrated by offering a pig sacrifice to Zeus on the altar.

A small band of Jewish rebels led by Mattathias and his son, Judas Maccabeus, fought back. They eventually succeeded in driving the Greek Army out of Israel. Their first act was to cleanse and rededicate the Temple. The retreating Syrians had contaminated most of the olive oil that was available for the Temple lamps. Miraculously, a single cruse of uncontaminated oil was found. The Talmud tells us that, although the uncontaminated oil was only enough for one day, it lasted eight days until more oil could be obtained. Hence, the significance of the eight days of Hanukkah and the lighting of a candle each day. A miracle worthy of celebration!

Note 1: The Talmud is a central text of Judaism consisting of commentaries on Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs, and history.