The Chanukah Story appears in the Book of Maccabees, which was written during the period between the First and Second
Covenants (Old and New Testaments). While this Book was not
accepted for inclusion as part of the Bible canon, it was considered
by many Biblical scholars to be a historically accurate accounting
of events that happened in the Holy Land several centuries before
 the coming of Yeshua.
 

Chanukah is a sequence of eight days set aside to praise and thank God for His miraculous powers.

       The observance of this holiday is based upon the first war for religious freedom that took
place many years ago when the Jewish people in Israel were ruled by Emperor Antiochus of
Syria. He commanded everyone in his empire to worship Greek idols. Antiochus even emptied
 the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem of all its holy treasures and set up an idol on the altar of
the Temple. He further desecrated the Temple by bringing unclean animals into it.
Soldiers of Antiochus then went to the small town of Modi’in and tried to force people there to
worship idols, stop studying the Torah, give up observance of the Sabbath, and to stop following
the Commandments. Those refusing to do so fled or were put to death.

     Mattathias, a member of a priestly family, along with his
five sons and many others decided to band together and > fight for their beliefs. Mattathias was old and soon died, but his son, Judah Maccabee (the “Hammer”) became leader and his men
were known as the Maccabees. They stood fast and defeated Antiochus’ army, at that time the mightiest in the world.
   

The Maccabees went to Jerusalem and removed the idols and the unclean animals from the Temple. There was an eternal lamp (Ner Tamid) in the Temple that had to be re-lit to make the Temple holy again, but there was only enough oil to burn for one day, and it would take eight days to prepare new olive oil. They lit the eternal light and a miracle happened – the lamp stayed lit for the eight days until the new oil had oil had been prepared.

Jews today observe Chanukah by lighting one candle of the Chanukiah (a ninebranch menorah) each of the eight nights, and by recounting the Chanukah story and sharing gifts. As Believers in Messiah, we can also take great joy in knowing that it is Yeshua Who is the light of the world for Jews and Gentiles alike, and through whom we have the free gift of salvation.