Hanukkah

Hanukkah commemorates the capture, cleansing, and rededication of the Second Temple by the Maccabees after Antiochus IV Epiphanes had defiled the Temple by sacrificing a pig on an altar to Zeus. It was foretold by Daniel, instituted by the Maccabees, and celebrated by Jesus.

The events of Hanukkah took place in December 164 BCE.  The first century historian Josephus describes them as follows:

The generals of Antiochus's armies having been defeated so often, Judah Maccabee assembled the people and told them that after the many victories which God had given them they ought to go up to Jerusalem and purify the Temple and offer the appointed sacrifices. 

But when he with the whole multitude came to Jerusalem and found the Temple deserted, its gates burned down, and plants growing in the Temple of their own accord because of the desolation, he and those with him began to lament in their distress at the sight of the Temple. 

So he chose some of his soldiers and gave them an order to fight the men that guarded the upper city until he has purified the Temple. When therefore he had carefully purged it he brought in new vessels -- the menorah, the table and the incense altar, which were made of gold, and hung up the veils at the doors and restored the doors themselves. He also took down the altar and built a new one of stones that he gathered together, and such as had not been hewn with iron tools. 

And on the twenty-fifth day of the month Kislev, which the Macedonians call Apellaios, they lighted the lights [phôta] that were on the menorah, and offered incense upon the altar, and laid the loaves upon the table, and offered whole burnt offerings upon the new altar. 

As it happened, these things took place on the very same day on which, three years before, the divine worship had been reduced to an impure and profane form of worship; for the Temple had remained desolate for three years after being made so by Antiochus...And the desolation of the Temple came about in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel, which had been made four hundred and eight years before; for he had revealed that the Macedonians would destroy it. 

And so Judah and his fellow citizens celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the Temple for eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasure, but everyone feasted upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and they honoured God, and delighted themselves with psalms of praise and the playing of harps. Indeed, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs and, after so long a time, having unexpectedly regained their right to worship, that they made it a law for their posterity that they should keep a festival celebrating the restoration of their Temple worship for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate this, which we call the Festival of Lights [phôta], because, I imagine, beyond our hopes this right was brought to light [phanênai], and so this name was placed on the festival.
Source: https://josephus.org/hanukkah.com

Because the events of Hanukkah took place between the Testaments, its only overt biblical reference outside of the Apocrypha is in the New Testament in John 10:22-23, which says “It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch” (WEB). That’s it. In Jesus’ day, Hanukkah was still known as the Feast of Dedication and the miracle of the oil had yet to be invented, but at least we do know from the Book of John that Jesus was at the Temple during at least one Feast of Dedication.

Orthodox Jewish rabbi Israel Drazin says this:

The miracle of Hanukkah was not as currently taught that the Judeans lit the temple candelabrum with oil that could only last one day but lasted eight days. The miracle was that a small Judean army defeated the Syrians. The book Maccabees, written about the time the events occurred, states that the Judeans celebrated their victory for eight days because they were unable to observe the eight-day holiday of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret during the war, so they did so when they were victorious. Centuries later, during the mid-first millennium of the Common Era, the rabbis didn’t want to celebrate a military victory, so they invented the story of the miracle of the lights.

You can read Rabbi Drazin’s post at https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/misconceptions-about-hanukkah-2/.

You can read about Antiochus IV’s really bad behavior here.

Bible Verses About Hanukkah

It was the Feast of Hanukkah* at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.
* The “Feast of the Dedication” is the Greek name for “Hanukkah”, a celebration of the rededication of the Temple.
John 10:22-23 (WMB)

Daniel’s Prophecies About Hanukkah

Daniel 8:9–26 (WMB):

9 Out of one of them came out a little horn which grew exceedingly great—toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land. 10 It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and it cast down some of the army and of the stars to the ground and trampled on them. 11 Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the army; and it took away from him the continual burnt offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 The army was given over to it together with the continual burnt offering through disobedience. It cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered. 

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, “How long will the vision about the continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trodden under foot be?” 

14 He said to me, “To two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary will be cleansed.” 

15 When I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. Then behold, there stood before me someone with the appearance of a man. 16 I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai, which called and said, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 

17 So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, for the vision belongs to the time of the end.” 

18 Now as he was speaking with me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me and set me upright. 

19 He said, “Behold, I will make you know what will be in the latter time of the indignation, for it belongs to the appointed time of the end. 20 The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The rough male goat is the king of Greece. The great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. 22 As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms will stand up out of the nation, but not with his power. 

23 “In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king of fierce face, and understanding riddles, will stand up. 24 His power will be mighty, but not by his own power. He will destroy awesomely, and will prosper in what he does. He will destroy the mighty ones and the holy people. 25 Through his policy he will cause deceit to prosper in his hand. He will magnify himself in his heart, and he will destroy many in their security. He will also stand up against the prince of princes, but he will be broken without human hands. 

26 “The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision, for it belongs to many days to come.”

Daniel 11:21-35 (WMB):

21 “In his place a contemptible person will stand up, to whom they had not given the honor of the kingdom; but he will come in time of security, and will obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 The overwhelming forces will be overwhelmed from before him, and will be broken. Yes, also the prince of the covenant. 23 After the treaty made with him he will work deceitfully; for he will come up and will become strong with few people. 24 In time of security he will come even on the fattest places of the province. He will do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers. He will scatter among them prey, plunder, and wealth. Yes, he will devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. 

25 “He will stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south will wage war in battle with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he won’t stand; for they will devise plans against him. 26 Yes, those who eat of his delicacies will destroy him, and his army will be swept away. Many will fall down slain. 27 As for both these kings, their hearts will be to do evil, and they will speak lies at one table; but it won’t prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time. 28 Then he will return into his land with great wealth. His heart will be against the holy covenant. He will take action, and return to his own land. 

29 “He will return at the appointed time and come into the south; but it won’t be in the latter time as it was in the former. 30 For ships of Kittim will come against him. Therefore he will be grieved, and will return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and will take action. He will even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant. 

31 “Forces from him will profane the sanctuary, even the fortress, and will take away the continual burnt offering. Then they will set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He will corrupt those who do wickedly against the covenant by flatteries; but the people who know their God will be strong and take action. 

33 “Those who are wise among the people will instruct many; yet they will fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder, many days. 34 Now when they fall, they will be helped with a little help; but many will join themselves to them with flatteries. 35 Some of those who are wise will fall—to refine them, and to purify, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time appointed. Daniel 11:21-35 (WMB)