Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-25
THE FEAST OF DEDICATION


To BE Observed by All the Hebrews Of the
World During the Next Eight Days-The
Events in Bible History which Led to
the Celebration.
Chanucsh, the Feast of Dedication, or
Lights, will be observed by Hebrews
throughout the world, beginning Sunday
evening and continuing eight days, 1t hap
pens annually on the 25th day of the He
brew month Klslev, and commentaries an
event which did not occur in Pentateuchal,
nor in even later Biblical times. The cause
and reasons for its observance are thor
oughly explained in the first four chapters
of /. Maccabees-one of the books Of the
Apocrypha-works not admitted into the
sacred canon of the Holy Scriptures,
but the historical importance of which
is universally admitted. In these chap
tiers the events relating to the state
of Judea while tributary to the Syro-
Grecians are graphically related; how
their ruling King, Antiochus Epiphanes,
sought to destroy every vestige of Judaism:
how he forbade the Hebrews to follow es-
sential precepts of their revealed religion
under terrible penalties; how he despoiled
the Holy Temple and placed therein idols
such as were worshiped by the heathens.
The history then proceeds to tell how the
people had become cowed down through
fear of him, and how at last valiant man
belonging to the Aaronic priesthood arose
in village called Modin, gathered his five
brave sons and true followers around him,
vowed resistance to the heathenish King,
and swore to restore the true worship of the
one God of Israel among His people.
This man was Mattathias, the son of
Toho of ho Acuo nd Il 10
five sons, whose names, like their fathers,
are illustrious, were Johanan, Simon,
Judas, Eleazar and Jonathan. But the
venerable priest, being then near the end
of his career, admonished his sons to re-
main faithful to the cause and unyielding
until Truth was re-estsblished. He ap-
pointed Simon their counsellor, and Ju-
das, surnamed Maccabeus, their captain.
Judas is one of the most renowned generals
in the annals of the world. His successful
attacks against the Syrians, and his COM
plete victory over such commanders as
Ptolemee. Gorgias, Nicanor- and Lysias,
whose scores of thousands of trained war
riors were routed by comparatively small
bands of brave and Jealous men, are mat
tiers of history 100 we'll known to need
repetition.
Extraordinary instances of bravery have
been recorded, especially of Judas, who
afterward died upon the battlefield, and of
Eleazar, one of his brothers, who ran his
sword through the body of an elephant,
upon whose back he mistakenly thought
King Antiochus was seated, when the ami
NAL fell upon him and fatally crushed him.
After the general victory the Hebrews
restored the Holy Temple to its purity and
to the true worship of God. Then Judas
ordained a universal illumination and cele-
bration of the great event by the lighting
or dedication of extra lamps on the 25th of
Kislev and the seven succeeding evenings,
with especial thanks and hallelujahs to the
Almighty for the great salvation and re-
demption He had brought unto His people
Israel. The Feast of Dedication has ever
since been annually commemorated by He
brews everywhere, not as strict festival,
but as semi-festival, marked by the kind
ling of extra lights in the synagogues, and
at the homes and at institutions by thanks
.givings, merry gatherings and the distribu-
tion of gifts among relatives and friends
and among the needy.