The priests also needed a constant supply of oil to fuel the menorah in the Temple (Leviticus 24:2). Oil could soothe wounds (Isaiah 1:6) and serve as a cosmetic (Esther 2:12). As a food product, oil symbolized prosperity, much like wine (Deuteronomy 8:8). Additionally, priests and other leaders-like kings-were anointed with oil (Exodus 29:21). For example, oil was part of the grain offerings (Leviticus 9:4). Olive oil was a valuable commodity in the ancient Mediterranean world and figured prominently in many practices recorded in the Bible. The fuel used to light the lamps was olive oil, just as the priests used oil in the menorah in the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple. During each day of the festival, a celebrant would add a lamp to the display. The earliest Hanukkah lights were clay or stone lamps with small cups for oil and wicks. According to the story, they stuck these spears in the ground and lit them.Īrchaeologists have discovered lampstands with eight spouts from the sixth century. Less common-but equally fascinating-is a ninth-century legend that depicts the Maccabees discovering eight spears in the Temple. Partly to make up for this loss, the people celebrated the last of these holidays, the Feast of Tabernacles ( Sukkot), which lasted eight days. First, Jewish people could not observe the biblical fall festivals during the Maccabean Revolt. Jewish lore offers other explanations for the eight-day celebration. To explain the origin of this tradition, the Sages said one day’s worth of oil lasted for eight days when the Maccabees rededicated the Temple and relit the menorah. A “Hanukkah lamp” is mentioned in the Mishnah, an authoritative Jewish commentary on the five books of Moses compiled in the third century, but not until the sixth century did Jewish sources discuss the practice of lighting flames on Hanukkah in detail. He noted the holiday was called “Lights” but did not explain why. Josephus, a Jewish historian and former Jewish general who lived during the first century, was the first to connect Hanukkah with light. In the process, the Seleucid army defiled the Temple, so the priests needed to rededicate it upon their return. The Maccabees led a successful rebellion against this tyrant. As a holiday, Hanukkah dates to the second century bce, when the Seleucid ruler over Israel began to persecute the Jewish people. The origin of the hanukkiah and the practice of lighting it for eight days during Hanukkah is unclear. After all, menorah is simply the Hebrew word for “lampstand.” So, all hanukkiahs are menorahs, but not all menorahs are hanukkiahs! Still, it is fair and accurate to call a hanukkiah a menorah. The Jewish community sometimes refers to the nine-candle menorah as a hanukkiah to distinguish it from the seven-light variety. When the menorah appears as a symbol, like the Chosen People Ministries logo, it usually contains only seven lights. This biblical lampstand had seven cups for the priests to fill with oil and light (Exodus 25:31–40). This style of menorah is the one you will see this time of year in homes, stores, and public displays-but it is not the only kind of menorah and should be distinguished from the seven-branched menorah, which stood in the Tabernacle. It is used to light each candle representing each of the eight nights of the holiday. One candle called the “servant,” shamash in Hebrew, is usually placed in the center of the menorah. One of the most familiar images of Hanukkah is a nine-branched menorah.
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