Chanukah: Maccabean Memories, Hasmonean History

NB: This is an adaptation of an earlier piece that appears elsewhere on this site.

Of the holidays that appear on the Jewish calendar, Chanukah is the most recent, one of the most widely celebrated, and probably the least understood. Its popularity today stems from its proximity to Christmas, during the darkest days of the year, a season celebrated by many peoples from time immemorial. But what is Chanukah all about? 

Most of us know the Chanukah story, celebrating the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks who had imposed their cult and culture over Judea during the second century BCE. Judah Maccabee, son of Mattathias the priest, led a guerrilla army in battles against the vastly greater Syrian Greek forces, ultimately liberating the Temple that the Hellenists profaned and reinstating the service there. Then there is the story of the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days. That is what we share in our collective memory, but the history is far more complex.

Chanukah celebrates a victory, but the war continued for more than two years, ending in the spring of 161 BCE. What ever happened to the celebration of the war's conclusion?  

The Hasmonean dynasty that descended from the Maccabees became known for its ruthlessness. It was corrupted by wealth and power, knowing no bounds when seeking to advance its interests. Historical sources are replete with accounts of bloodshed, even fratricide, among its principals. Eventually, this divisive and destructive behavior held the door open for Rome when it entered the fray and took control of Judea in 63 BCE. 

The sages, the ultimate arbiters of the holiday and how it would be celebrated, seem ambivalent about Chanukah and the militarism surrounding it. Violence may be acceptable only to meet limited objectives, for the defense of the people and their ability to live as Jews. Those objectives were met at the point when the Maccabees secured the Temple and the reversal of the edicts that robbed the Jews of their religious freedom. But beyond that, their battles were political; some who had fought alongside the Maccabees broke away from them at this point, preferring negotiated diplomatic solutions to meet their goals. 

The rabbis were less interested in the use of force to meet political ends, and often show a preference towards compromise and negotiation. The Talmudic accounts of the events leading up to the destruction of the Temple do not speak well of those who sought to prevent any settlement, those who chose the all-or-nothing approach that ultimately led to catastrophe. 

As a people, we are sustained by our collective memory of the past, even if, at times, it diverges from history. For two millennia, as Jews endured domination in the Diaspora, the Chanukah story was a source of sustenance. In our world, where Jews have returned to reclaim and govern their homeland, we might want to consider not only the memory of the Maccabees, but also the history of the Hasmoneans, as a cautionary tale. Those who don’t learn from history...