DEDICATION, FEAST OF THE. This festival was instituted by Judas Maccabmus, B.c. 164, to be celebrated annually by all the Jews for eight days, commencing on the 25th of Chislev =parts of November and December, in commemoration of the purification of the Temple and the temple worship, after the three years' profanation by tiochus Epiphanes, the record of which is given in Maccab. iv. 52-59. The Jews to the present day call this feast simply rq.11:1 Chanuca = dedica tion, the name by which St. John called it era tcalyta, x. 22), and which is also retained in the Vulgate, i.e., Encomia. In t Maccab. iv. 56 and 59, however, it is also called 6 evkaiviaos roil .vatao-niplov, the dedication of the altar, because the old and profaned altar was pulled down and a new one built and dedicated to the Lord.
The mode in which this festival was and still is celebrated. —During the eight days of festivity, the Jews assembled in the Temple or in the syna gogues of the places wherein they resided (Roth Ha-Shana, iS. 2), carrying branches of trees and palms in their hands, and sang psalms to the God of their salvation. No fast or mourning on ac count of any calamity or bereavement was per mitted to commence during the festival (Mishna, Thaanith, ii. to ; Moed Katon, iii. 9) ; the temple and all private houses were lighted up within and without by lanterns and torches every evening during the eight days, in token of this joy (1 Maccab. iv. 52-59 ; 2 Maccab. x. 6, etc.; Mishna, Baba Kama, v. 6), for which reasons Josephus also calls it Xt'Aviop dvaxcit'qreir, the Feast of Lights (comp. Antzq. xii. 7. 7, with Cont. Apion. ii. 39). When Mr. Clark remarks that neither the books of Maccabees, the Mishna, nor Josephus, mention this custom' (Smith's Dictionary of the Bible, s. v.), we can only express our sur prise, and refer to the passages here cited. Mai monides, in discoursing upon this subject, distinctly declares that ' the lighting up of the lamps is a commandment from the scribes.' The injunction respecting the lighting of these lamps, which the Jews observe to the present day, cannot be given better than in the words of Maimonides. The order is,' says he, that every house should light one light, whether the inmates thereof be many or only one. He, however, who honours the in junction has as many lights as there are inmates in the house, he has a light for every man and woman. And he who respects it still more adds a light for every individual every night, so that if a house wherein are ten inmates began with ten lights, it would end with eighty' (Afishna Thora ffilchath Alegi/la Ve-Chanuca, sec. iv. p. 326, b). These lamps must be lighted immediately after sunset by the head of the family, who pronounces the three following benedictions:—t. Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the world, who hast sanctified us with thy commandments, and en joined upon us to light the lamps of the Feast of the Dedication.' 2. Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the world, who hast done wonders for our forefathers in those days about this time ;' and 3. Blessed art thou, Lord our God, King of the world, who hast preserved us in life and health, and hast permitted us to see this day !' The third benediction, however, is only pronounced on the first day of this festival. The practice of illumina tion in connection with this festival is, as we have seen, of very old date, and was most probably suggested by the fact that the lamps which were upon the candlestick' were lighted by the people at the restoration of the temple service (1 Maccab.
iv. 5o, 51), as well as by the natural feeling exist ing among most nations to have illuminations on occasions of great joy. The Egyptians also had a similar festival (comp. Herod. ii. 62). Midrash im of very great antiquity, however, give another reason for this custom of lighting lamps. They tell us that ' when the Maccabees went into the temple after vanquishing the enemy, and wanted to light the candlestick, they could not find any oil, except one vial, and it was sealed with the ring of the high-priest, which assured them that it was not polluted, but it was just enough to light one day. Whereupon God, whose glory dwelleth in the heavens, blessed it, so that they were able to feed the lamps therewith for eight days. Where fore the Maccabees and all the people, like one man, have ordained that these eight days should henceforth be days of joy and rejoicing, like the festivals ordained in the law, and that lamps should be lighted on those days, to make known the wondrous works which the God of the heavens bath wrought for them' (Megillath Antiochus, p. 145, ed. Jellinek ; Talmud, Sabbath, 21, b). Now, whatever we may think about the embellishments of this story, it is not at all unlikely that a vial of oil was actually discovered in the temple just at a time when it was most wanted, and that this is one of the reasons why the lighting of lamps has been instituted.
At every morning prayer during the whole of this festival, a portion of the 7th ch. of Numbers is read in the synagogue by the prelector, in accord ance with a very old custom (Mishna, Megilla, 6); thus, on the first day Num. vii. 1- t7 is read after the regular lesson of the Pentateuch, if it is a Sabbath, and the Haftorah, or the portion from the Prophets, is Zech. ii ; on the second, Num. vii. 1S-23 is read, beginning with On the second day,' etc., and the same Haftorah; on the third day, Num. vii. 24-29, and the same Haftorah, and so on. Connected with this festival is the celebra tion of the exploits performed by Judith upon Holophernes, because, as some suppose, she was of the stock of the Maccabees [JuDitti]. Hence some of the Midrashim which give the history of Judas Maccabxus mix up with it the history of Judith. The Karaites do not observe this festival because it is an uninspired ordinance. There are four other dedications of the temple recorded.
I. The dedication of the Solomonic Temple (r Kings viii.), which took place in the seventh month, or in the autumn.
2. The dedication at the time of Hezekiah, when the temple was purified from the abominations which his father Ahaz introduced into it (2 Chron. xxix.) 3. The dedication of Zerubbabel's Temple, built after the captivity (Ezra vi. 16), which took place in the month Adar, in the spring. And 4. The dedication of Herod's Temple (Joseph. Antig. xv. 2. b). Some of the Fathers have therefore thought that Jesus is said to have gone to the celebration commemorative of the dedication of Solomon's Temple or of Zerubbabers. The fact, however, that there was no annual festival to commemorate these dedications, and that the Evan gelist St. John distinctly says that it was in the winter, establishes it beyond doubt that our Lord went to the Feast of the Dedication instituted by Judas Maccabmus.