Hanukkah, a Festival of Light and Dedication

by Joseph Gray, Canadian Director

Here is an interesting Bible trivia question: Where in the canonical books of the Bible (Protestant and Jewish canon) do we find reference to the Feast of Hanukkah?
Many people will quickly jump to the Hebrew Bible assuming that they will find the reference to Hanukkah there. Although the full account of the story of Hanukkah may be found in the Apocryphal Books of Maccabees (accepted in the Catholic canon of the Bible), there is no reference to the Feast of Hanukkah in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). The reason for this is that the events of Hanukkah take place at a relatively later date, during the inter-testamental period; the Maccabean revolt and the events celebrated at Hanukkah took place about 166 BCE.

So, apart from the Books of Maccabees in the Apocrypha, is there a reference to Hanukkah in the Protestant or Jewish Canon? The answer is yes. Surprisingly, this reference may be found in the B’rit Hadashah (New Testament). In John 10: 22-23a we read, “At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple.” Hanukkah in Hebrew means dedication. By the time of Yeshua (Jesus) Jewish people celebrated this joyous winter festival of dedication and light.

It is certainly appropriate that Yeshua, a fully observant Jew, would be in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Hanukkah. Many of the miraculous events Hanukkah commemorates took place in the city of Jerusalem a mere 130 years before His time on earth.

Hanukkah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees and their small band of Jewish freedom fighters over the Syrian Greek army and the tyrannical king, Antiochus IV. Antiochus had desecrated the holy Temple in Jerusalem by offering pagan sacrifices there. He also outlawed the practices of Judaism and the study of Torah (the Law). Jews who violated his harsh edicts were cruelly tortured and murdered.

After defeating the powerful armies of King Antiochus, the Maccabees and their followers set about cleaning up and rededicating the temple in Jerusalem, preparing it for renewed worship. Unfortunately they found only a small supply of sacred olive oil. This amount of holy oil would be enough to light the menorah (lamp stand) in the Temple for only one day. It would take eight more days to prepare new oil for the Temple menorahs. The great miracle of Hanukkah is that the tiny measure of oil burned for those eight days until the new supply of oil could be prepared.


According to one ancient rabbinical account, when the Temple was rededicated at the time of the Maccabees, a new altar was built. The desecrated stones from the former altar were set aside; they were unfit for sacred sacrifice. However, because they had been intended and used for sacred purpose, they could not simply be discarded. The leaders were unsure what to do with these stones, so they were set aside in the hope that, when the Messiah came, He would tell them what to do with them.

How appropriate it is that John tells us it was the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) and Yeshua was in the temple. Yeshua, the long awaited Messiah of Israel and the True Light of the world appears in Jerusalem, in the temple, during this festival that celebrates the miracle of light! Truly, He came to cleanse our earthly temples and to fill them with the glory of God.


Yeshua said, “I am the Light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

At this joyous season of light, may you know the light of the Messiah Jesus and the joy of walking in Him.