The Temple Is Rededicated

1 Maccabees 4

³⁶ But Judas and his kindred said, “Behold, our enemies are defeated. Let’s go up to cleanse the holy place and to rededicate it.”

³⁷ All the army was gathered together, and they went up to mount Zion.

³⁸ They saw the sanctuary laid desolate, the altar profaned, the gates burned up, shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest or as on one of the mountains, and the priests’ chambers pulled down;

³⁹ and they tore their clothes, made great lamentation, put ashes upon their heads,

⁴⁰ fell on their faces to the ground, blew with the solemn trumpets, and cried toward heaven.

⁴¹ Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those who were in the citadel until he had cleansed the holy place.

⁴² He chose blameless priests who were devoted to the law;

⁴³ and they cleansed the holy place and carried the defiled stones out to an unclean place.

⁴⁴ They deliberated what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which had been profaned.

⁴⁵ A good plan came into their mind, that they should pull it down, lest it would be a reproach to them, because the Gentiles had defiled it. So they pulled down the altar

⁴⁶ and laid up the stones on the temple hill in a convenient place, until a prophet would come to give an answer concerning them.

⁴⁷ They took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar like the former.

⁴⁸ They built the holy place and the inner parts of the house; and they consecrated the courts.

⁴⁹ They made new holy vessels, and they brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple.

⁵⁰ They burned incense on the altar, and they lit the lamps that were upon the lampstand, and they gave light in the temple.

⁵¹ They set loaves upon the table, hung up the curtains, and finished all the work which they had done.

⁵² They rose up early in the morning, on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month Chislev, in the one hundred forty eighth year,

⁵³ and offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar of burnt offerings which they had made.

⁵⁴ At the time and day the Gentiles had profaned it, even then it was dedicated with songs, harps, lutes, and with cymbals.

⁵⁵ All the people fell on their faces, worshiped, and gave praise toward heaven, which had given them good success.

⁵⁶ They celebrated the dedication of the altar eight days, and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed a sacrifice of deliverance and praise.

⁵⁷ They decorated the front of the temple with crowns of gold and small shields. They dedicated the gates and the priests’ chambers, and made doors for them.

⁵⁸ There was exceedingly great gladness among the people, and the reproach of the Gentiles was turned away.

⁵⁹ Judas and his kindred and the whole congregation of Israel ordained that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their seasons from year to year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, with gladness and joy.

⁶⁰ At that time, they fortified mount Zion with high walls and strong towers around it, lest perhaps the Gentiles might come and trample them down, as they had done before.

⁶¹ Judas stationed a garrison to guard it. They fortified Bethsura to keep it, that the people might have a stronghold near Idumaea.

2 Maccabees 10

¹ Then Maccabaeus and those who were with him, the Lord leading them on, recovered the temple and the city.

² They pulled down the altars that had been built in the marketplace by the foreigners, and also the sacred enclosures.

³ Having cleansed the sanctuary, they made another altar of sacrifice. Striking flint and starting a fire, they offered sacrifices after they had ceased for two years, burned incense, lit lamps, and set out the show bread.

⁴ When they had done these things, they fell prostrate and implored the Lord that they might fall no more into such evils; but that, if they ever did sin, they might be chastened by him with forbearance, and not be delivered to blaspheming and barbarous heathen.

⁵ Now on the same day that the sanctuary was profaned by foreigners, upon that very day it came to pass that the sanctuary was cleansed, even on the twenty-fifth day of the same month, which is Chislev.

⁶ They observed eight days with gladness in the manner of the feast of tabernacles, remembering how not long before, during the feast of tabernacles, they were wandering in the mountains and in the caves like wild animals.

⁷ Therefore carrying wands wreathed with leaves, and beautiful branches, and palm fronds also, they offered up hymns of thanksgiving to him who had successfully brought to pass the cleansing of his own place.

⁸ They ordained also with a public statute and decree, for all the nation of the Jews, that they should observe these days every year.

⁹ Such were the events of the end of Antiochus, who was called Epiphanes.