Feast of Dedication, John 10:22-39

Feast of Dedication, John 10:22-39
The Feast of Dedication of the Altar or the Feast of the Purification of the Temple (Hanukkah, as it is most commonly called today) occurs in December and lasts eight days. A candle is lighted each day in observance of this celebration, which is also called the Feast of Lights. The feast celebrates the victories of Judas Maccabaeus (165 B.C.). When Antiochus Epiphanes, the king of Syria (175–164 B.C.), tried to abolish the Jewish religion, he attacked Jerusalem. He killed 80,000 Jews, profaned the temple courts and chambers, and sacrificed swine to the pagan god Zeus on the temple altar. Judas Maccabaeus and his brothers fought Epiphanes and won. They cleansed and restored the temple and rebuilt the altar. This Feast of Hanukkah is still celebrated by the Jews. John referred to the various Jewish feasts more than the other gospel writers.