Description
In 164 BCE, after their vicory over the Seleucid forces at Beth-zur, the Maccabees went to Jerusalem to purify the Temple and the altar. They then kept the Feast of Dedication, known as Hanukkah, for eight days. According to Talmudic sources, the oil that was left was sufficient for one day only, but miraculously kept the oil lamps of the menorah (Lampstand) filled for eight days. The Hanukkiah, in contrast, has eight branches. The ninth oil lamp on the central stem, called the shamas, was used to light the other oil lamps. The Feast of Dedication is also mentioned in the Gospel of John 10:22 during one of the visits of Jesus to the Temple Mount.