Q. How many years was the story of Hanuka, from the time the revolt began until the reentering into the Beth Hamikdash and the miracle of the menorah? (I keep on getting different answers)
A. The exact dates of the Chanuka history are subject to controversy. The Book of Maccabees places the regaining of the control of the Temple and the miracle of the oil on the twenty fifth of Kislev 3597 (165 BCE). This was about a year after the revolt began. It was by no means a total victory as they regained only control of the Beis Hamikdosh and not the country. From the same source (Macc. 2, 13: 41) we glean that Shimon the Hasmonean son of Matissyahu was nominated ”Prince of the Jews” on year 3619 (142 BCE), and became a partial ruler.
The above concurs with Seder Olam Rabba and the Talmud (Avoda Zara 9a) who maintain that the Hasmonean Dynasty began 206 years before the Churban Habbais (on year 3828). That would give a window of about twenty six years for the story of Chanuka.
However, other early chroniclers who did not have access to the Sefer Hamaccabim, such as Sefer Hakabala, Yesod Olam (4: 18), Tzemach Dovid and others assume year 3621 or 3622 to be the year of the menorah oil miracle. (from Chanuka, Art Scroll series).
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a
Important Numbers
