The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-27
THE ANNUAL JEWISH FEAST OF DEDICA
TION.

TON.
The annual Jewish festival in commemora!ion OF the
Publication Of the Second Temple, feast among the
Israeltes corresponding TO holiday week between
Christmas and New Year commenced evening of the 10Th
inst and will be continued eight days. With the Iews
is time for social Enjoyment for balls, parties ta
beaux, the frcquentng Of thcaresto be sure no, 50
much the case in this country in England aud other
parts of the Old World but still week set apar, for
unalloyed social feshvity and public worship Fasting
and sclfdoniaI are set aside, and except under
rigid conditicrs positively prohibited. The principal pc
cuary in of this feast is the burning Of
lamps in the synagogues and also in all the private resi-
Of the Jews the lamps beng fed by pure olive oil.
On the first night OF this festival lamp is it,
the second two; the third, three; ant so on
till the eighth and last night, when the whole num-
Der eight in illumination. The lren at the
same time, arc each supplied with bunch OF tapers
which, of course they take great delight in lighting.
ing putting out, rehghtng nc TO the end of the cnaper
while dancing, singing and general festiviy rega suPren
just at OF New Eng and appe bees The lamp
used az this festival is peculiar It consists Of drawer
with lifting lid and behind the lid rising mirror set
generally IN sver--n fact, The whole lamp Is made Of
silver the drawer is divided into eight compa tmens,
each containing wick and fded with pure olive oil;
these wcss the lights successfully it, To the right
OF The whole apparatus is an upright rod,
bearing cup, which is called the sexton.
This Is Oiled also with olive OIL and is used In regn-
ing replenishng the other lights TIE synagogues
kept open for services morning and evening throughout
these eight days. and the Jewish Sabbath coming next
Saturday service will be held in the ynagogues,
and sermon in English delivered. This feast commemo,
the Publication OF the Second Temple by the Of
the Grand Priest John the son Ma.tahia ani
times called Hash monaco or Haccabee after he his bro
theirs and his father had defeated s Nlcanor the vceroy
Of Anhochus the powerful King Of Greece and secondly
another general Of King Anrochus', by name Bagrs
John, the high priest who sic Ncarr in the sanctuary
OF the Second Temple The following extracts from
Book OF Antiochns translated from the egina, Hebrew
and Arabic, comprehended in two manuscripts in the
quarian Society by Il. fipowss in ISL viii give "a,
account Of the defeat OF Bagrs and the origin of ''Tht
Feast Of Dedication ~, In the manuscript a;.s
tathas, viz: Jrdal, the citest; Simon, the second
John, The high priest the third Jonathan, the fourth
and Eeazer, the th-hai received their fathers bless
ing appears the following, as translated
whereupon the five Of aaa,hias and fought
S . and @a ssn Ma ps m
s ua: Hey xs y d hs % And sv when
ess Because s:.th Ne
5a. he house Of IsSsel be lost You alarmed al
an the mah Of ne people q.o their hands aaa they made
Bow. he eipiaas Of he army vs Of tSsir oG.sTs
@ na %e s eaD d In he ss
plants sank ia TIE Dug 2. then; and when hey
finally found sans The dung lis eeohan.s The Is
burned with dre sas they slew With .he sword and
they hsnsed on tire Asp sagris he ycked the nsster
Arnoctns perceived of the death Of Bags the wicked and
saped 81 G as TO Us
he they rcvoltei against him. and called him the fus
tive
The following extract describes the origin Of the fest
val
Thereupor the sons sshons nraccapee) into the
sanctuary and rebuff, the gates repaired The breaches
clen1sed the hall OF The ccsd and the pollution They then
sought after pure olive oil to gt the lamp, and they
one bottle sealed with the sea- OF the grand priest which they
knew TO be pure and sufficient light for only Row
the God that dweeh ia Heaven gave beasing
here and listed TO light Tor eigh. days Therefore
sons OF Hasbmona ia junction with the Israeli
upon themseye In ordaiaug statute observe these egh.
days as days of feasiiog and JOY, similar to ihe
festivals prescribed in the books Of law. And u
light anlps those days IN c1muiemoraon of the victory
achieved IN them by the aid Of the Heavenly God;
ortan any fast hen except such may have
been accepted preyonely and 10 before the Lord
did not Hashmcna. his and their brethren prohibit
boring at the temple since that time there remained
to the Kingdom Of Greece Thus the OF Hashonau and
their received the kingdom SINCE up
destruction Of the temple Of God for the period of hun
dred and sx years. Until the present day the Lar aei.es
throughout their captivity, Observe these days calling them
days OF oy beginning with the twenty fifth OF Kso aud
tnuing the eight days Suce that pefioi and forever
they Will not be abolished in their temples the prless
Levies the took themselves and
offspring to keep them forever.