Topical Encyclopedia
The Second Temple, originally constructed under the leadership of Zerubbabel following the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon, holds a significant place in Jewish history and religious tradition. This sacred edifice, located in Jerusalem, became the focal point of Jewish worship and national identity. However, during the tumultuous period of the 2nd century BC, the Second Temple faced severe desecration under the rule of the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
Antiochus IV, in his attempt to Hellenize the Jewish people, desecrated the Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing swine, an unclean animal according to Jewish law, on the sacred altar. This act of sacrilege is recorded in the apocryphal books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which, while not part of the canonical Protestant Bible, provide historical context to the events surrounding the Maccabean Revolt.
In response to this desecration, Judas Maccabaeus, a Jewish priest and the third son of the priest Mattathias, led a successful revolt against the Seleucid Empire. His leadership and military prowess were instrumental in reclaiming Jerusalem and the Temple. The cleansing and rededication of the Temple are celebrated in the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Dedication.
The rededication of the Temple is described in 1 Maccabees 4:36-59. Judas and his followers cleansed the Temple, removed the defiled altar, and constructed a new one. They also fashioned new sacred vessels and lit the menorah, the seven-branched lampstand, which had been extinguished during the desecration. The rededication ceremony took place on the 25th of Kislev, and the festival was established to commemorate this miraculous event.
The significance of the Temple's rededication is echoed in the New Testament. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is depicted as being present in the Temple during the Feast of Dedication: "At that time the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple courts in Solomon’s Colonnade" (
John 10:22-23). This passage highlights the continued importance of the Temple and its festivals in Jewish life during the time of Jesus.
The cleansing and rededication of the Second Temple by Judas Maccabaeus symbolize the resilience of the Jewish faith and the divine providence that guided the Maccabean Revolt. This event not only restored the sanctity of the Temple but also reinforced the Jewish commitment to the worship of Yahweh, free from foreign influence and idolatry.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
John 10:22And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
Torrey's Topical Textbook
Resources
What was Herod's temple? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was Zerubbabel's temple/the second temple? | GotQuestions.orgWhat was Solomon's temple / the first temple? How many temples were there? | GotQuestions.orgTemple: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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