Source
And the Maccabees shall build the sanctuary, and the interior of the Temple, and sanctify the courtyards.
And they shall make new holy vessels, and bring the menorah [for lighting candles], and the altar for incense, and the table for the sanctuary.
And they shall burn incense upon the altar and they shall place candles in the menorah and light them in the sanctuary. […]
And they shall awaken early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev […]
And they shall dedicate the altar for eight days. And they shall ascend with joy, and sacrifice whole sacrifices and [offer prayers of] thanksgiving.
Book of Maccabees I, chapter 4, verses 48-56
What is Chanukah? […]
When the Greeks entered the Holy Temple, they defiled all of the oils in the sanctuary. And the royal Hasmonean dynasty overpowered them and triumphed.
They searched and found but one jug of oil that had been placed under the seal of the High Priest.
And there was not [enough] in it to light [the menorah for more than] one day, and a miracle occurred, and they lit [the menorah] from this oil for eight days.
The following year, they established these [eight days] as days of festivity, filled with praise and thanksgiving to God.
Babylonian Talmud, Masechet Shabbat, daf kaf aleph, amud bet
Foundations for Planning
Essential Questions
- Why is it important for people and cultures to construct narratives about their experience?
- How does a nation change over time?
- What can we learn from different generations?
Content Questions Related to the Essential Questions
- What are some different ways to tell the Chanukah story?
- How can we reconcile the story of the oil jug with the early historical descriptions found in the Book of Maccabees?
- How do the different faces of the holiday allow for different ways of connecting to it (on a national, social and personal level)?
Background for Teacher
Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees (the Hasmoneans, led by Judah Maccabee) over the Greeks and the miracle of the oil jug. According to the Book of Maccabees and other sources, in 167 BCE, King Antiochus IV (ruler of the Seleucid kingdom centered...
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Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees (the Hasmoneans, led by Judah Maccabee) over the Greeks and the miracle of the oil jug. According to the Book of Maccabees and other sources, in 167 BCE, King Antiochus IV (ruler of the Seleucid kingdom centered on the Greek island) issued religious decrees against the Jewish religion in the Land of Israel (which was under his control at that time) and conquered the Temple, placing in it a statue of the Greek god, Zeus.
Following the decrees, a revolt began among the Jews which eventually led to the establishment of an independent Jewish kingdom in the Land of Israel. The Maccabees even recaptured the Temple from the Greeks, purified it from the altars of idols and prepared it for the service of God. They lit a Menorah (candelabra) to replace the Menorah that had been there but was looted by the Greeks, and for a period of eight days celebrated the dedication of the Temple and its return to the Jewish people so they could worship God. The Maccabees then established a holiday in memory of the miraculous victory of the few over the many, to be celebrated every year for eight days – the holiday of Chanukah.
The Book of Maccabees I relates the story of the war and describes the heroism of Judah Maccabee and his soldiers, including their successful war tactics against the large Seleucid army, which was equipped and trained but for whom the territory was unfamiliar. According to this book, the focus of the festivities was the dedication of the purified altar – festivities that lasted for eight days and the source of the holiday celebrated in its wake.
The Babylonian Talmud, written hundreds of years after the Maccabean revolt, brings the first mention of an additional miracle celebrated on Chanukah, the miracle of the oil jug. According to the description in Tractate Shabbat, the Maccabees found only one small jug of olive oil that had not been defiled by the Greeks and was thus suitable for lighting the Menorah. Despite the fact that the amount of oil in the jug was enough for only one day of lighting, a miracle occurred and the oil lasted for eight days. In memory of this miracle, we light candles in a chanukiya for a period of eight days on the holiday of Chanukah.
The Book of Maccabees I is an ancient book describing the story of the Maccabees’ struggle against the Greeks. The book was written close to the time of the events described there and provides us with an historical source for understanding the events of that period. In contrast, the Babylonian Talmud allows us a glimpse of the religious narrative that developed around the holiday. The Talmudic account describing the miracle of the oil jug complements and adds to the historical story, and teaches us about values that were important to Chazal (our Sages) at that time, such as faith, holiness and thanksgiving.
Optional Hooks 
In-Depth Discussion 
Suggested Activities 
Further Study - Start with a question: What do we celebrate on Chanukah? Have each student write down one answer and then compare their answer with that of another student. Did they write the same answer? Ask the students to write their answers on the board. If the following things were not mentioned, add them yourself: The miracle of the oil jug, the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, the purification of the Temple and altar and dedication of it, nullifying the decrees of Antiochus.
Summarize: There are different perspectives about the Chanukah story, each of which is expressed on the holiday. We will learn and look at sources for these different perspectives regarding the essence of the holiday.
Click here to view our consolidated list of suggested interactive pedagogies for classroom discussion.
- What are the similarities and differences between the two stories? What relationship do you see between them (do they complement each other, contradict each other, etc)?
- In your opinion, what are the reasons that different sources offer different descriptions of the holiday? What can this teach us about the way we tell stories?
- What did our Sages find important in the Chanukah story, as can be learned from the Talmudic text? What can the story of the oil jug miracle add to the story told in the Book of Maccabees, further supporting our Sages’ perspective?
- Which holiday narrative do you connect to more? Why?
- What can we learn from the different narratives of the Chanukah story about the way that we describe or experience events in our daily lives? Should we be searching for absolute truth regarding events, or no? Explain your opinion.
- How does the fact that there is more than one narrative about the holiday make you feel? Does it add something? Is it confusing?
Older students:
- Which text would you consider to be more historically accurate? Why? Does this change something about how we relate to the holiday story?
- Do you think that we should learn about holidays using only historical sources, or conversely, using only stories from tradition? Explain why.
- We can see from the texts that different groups and different generations emphasize different aspects of the holiday. Which parts of the story would you choose to emphasize in order to convey a message to society as a whole?
- Ask the students to examine the two narratives of the Chanukah story presented here through an analysis of the various components. For each story, the students should consider: Who is the main protagonist in this story? What is the climax of the story? What was being celebrated? Why is the holiday celebrated for eight days? You can use this template, or do this through creating a presentation, preparing didactic accessories such as cards, etc.
- To illustrate the idea that narratives have an agenda, divide the students into groups: Suggest a topic for a story and have each group write the same story from the various perspectives of the different interest holders. You can suggest a story that relates to Chanukah – for example, making candles, producing olive oil, the materials used for making chanukiyot, etc. Potential perspectives for the different groups: tradition, protecting the environment, interpersonal relationships, etc.
Following the activity, relate to the example taught in class – one story with different narratives that reflect and convey different emphases and messages.
- Expand further on the story of the holiday from Chazal’s perspective by using the Story of the Holiday resource.
- Learn other sources that describe additional aspects of the holiday story from a historical perspective, such as the texts from Book of Maccabees I and Book of Maccabees II that appear in the Heroism and Hellenism resources, respectively.
