Chanukah - 8 days
what is the holiday and why 8 days? in a nutshell When the Second Temple in Jerusalem was looted and services stopped, Judaism was outlawed. In 167 BC Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. He banned brit milah (circumcision) and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the temple. Antiochus's actions provoked a large-scale revolt. Mattityahu, a Jewish priest, and his five sons Yochanan, Shimon, Eleazar, Yonatan, and Yehuda led a rebellion against Antiochus starting with Mattityahu killing first a Jew who wanted to comply with Antiochus's order to sacrifice to Zeus and then a Greek official who was to enforce the government's behest. Judah became known as Yehuda HaMakabi. By 166 BC Mattityahu had died, and Yehuda took his place as leader. By 165 BC the Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy was successful. The Temple was liberated and rededicated. The festival of Chanukkah was instituted to celebrate this...