When did the Maccabees rededicate the temple?
Judas Maccabeus drives out the Seleucids and rededicates the temple — the origin of Hanukkah.
Maccabean Revolt took place c. 167–164 BC at Jerusalem and Judea, during the Intertestamental period of Bible history. The account is recorded in John 10:22 (KJV). Judas Maccabeus drives out the Seleucids and rededicates the temple — the origin of Hanukkah.
"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter." — John 10:22 (KJV)
When Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed the law and offered swine on the temple altar, the priest Mattathias and his sons rose in revolt. By 164 BC Judas Maccabeus had recaptured Jerusalem, cleansed the sanctuary, and rededicated the altar — the origin of Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication.
c. 167–164 BC
Jerusalem and Judea
Key KJV Scriptures
"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter."
"And they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate."
Why It Matters
The Maccabean victory preserved Jewish worship into the time of Christ and fulfilled in part the prophecies of Daniel 8 and 11.
Key People
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Maccabean revolt in the Bible?
It is described in 1 and 2 Maccabees (deuterocanonical) and prophetically in Daniel 8 and 11. Jesus Himself kept its feast in John 10:22.
When did maccabean revolt happen?
Maccabean Revolt is dated c. 167–164 BC, placing it in the Intertestamental era of biblical history. See John 10:22 (KJV).
Where did maccabean revolt take place?
Scripture places maccabean revolt at Jerusalem and Judea.
Who was involved in maccabean revolt?
The key figures are Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus, Antiochus IV.
Where is maccabean revolt in the Bible?
You can read about it in John 10:22, Daniel 11:31 (King James Version).
Why does maccabean revolt matter?
The Maccabean victory preserved Jewish worship into the time of Christ and fulfilled in part the prophecies of Daniel 8 and 11.
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