Related Columns OCALA, Fla., November 27, 2013 — The time for America’s other winter holiday has arrived, and much earlier than usual. Hanukkah is a festival which almost everybody knows about, yet few fully understand. Despite not being a high holy day, it garners more fanfare than any other Jewish celebration. As with other time-honored traditions, fact and fiction have merged to form a compelling narrative. In 164 BCE, the Syrian-Greek Empire firmly controlled what we now call Israel. For generations, local Jews had been able to practice their religion without persecution. Despite this, then-ruler Antiochus IV opted to launch a militant campaign against Judaism. His soldiers...
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