Hanukka: The Origins of the eight-day and night Jewish Holiday
Hanukkah , which in 2018 begins at sundown on Sunday, Dec. 2, is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish festival of lights in the United States. Hanukka , or (less commonly) Chanukah, Hanukah is the 8-day Jewish holiday beginning on the 25th of Kislev and commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after its defilement by Antiochus of Syria. Hanukkah traditions include lighting candles, giving presents, playing games and eating food fried in oil, like doughnuts or potato pancakes. Star of Wonder, Vintage Framed Jewelry brooch star of David History of Hanukka More than 2000 years ago there was a time when the land of Israel was part of the Syrian-Greek Empire, dominated by Syrian rulers of the dynasty of the Seleucids . In order to relate the story that led up to Chanukah, we shall start with Antiochus III, the King of Syria, who reigned from 3538 to 3574 (222-186 B.C.E.). He had waged war with King Ptolemy of Egypt over the possession of the ...