Win A Free Copy Of The Book "How to Spell Chanukah"

You could win a free copy of the book How to Spell Chanukah… And Other Holiday Dilemmas. Just correctly answer the following question and you'll be among those FailedMessiah.com readers who might win:

You could win a free copy of the book How to Spell Chanukah… And Other Holiday Dilemmas! Just correctly answer the following question and you'll be among those FailedMessiah.com readers who might win:

What was lit by the Maccabees to celebrate Hanukkah?

A) A Hanukkah menorah.

B) Torches attached to the ends of spears.

C) A Hanukkah bush that burned for 8 days.

D) Something else.

Enter one the above four possible answers in the comments below before 9 am CST Friday.

Make sure to use a valid email address so I can reach you if you win.

The FailedMessiah.com contest team will chose the winner from the correct answers sometime on Friday.

Good luck!

Comments

[boston born]

a menorah or candelbra with olive oil

[think for a change]

D. Something else.
According to the Talmud a 7 branched menorah made of wood (according to some editions lead) was lit when they recaptured the Temple, But it was not in celebration that of the miracle that they lit the menorah, but as part of the daily temple service. According the Scholium quoted in the Babylonian Talmud, it was only in the next year that they made a Hanukkah celebration, which was a day feasting and celebration. The origin of lighting a Hankkah light or menorah is not clear. The Scholium in the Talmud connects it to the miracle of the flask of oil, but other versions of the Scholium don't have this addition. Josephus already recounts the there was a custom to light lamp around that time of year.

[Rochel]

Actually, I thought it was when the cell phone battery had only one day's charge left, but a miracle occurred and it lasted eight days. :)

[Sarek]

("Eight Days a Week", The Beatles)

Ooh we need the eternal light, God
Yes, you know it's true
Gotta get some oil, God
To show that we need you.

Light up the ark
Light up the ark
The eternal light needs
Eight days of oil.

Love you every day, God
Always on my mind
One thing I can say, God
Love you all the time.

Light up the ark
Light up the ark
The eternal light needs
Eight days of oil.

Eight days of oil
We need to light the ark.
Eight days of oil
Coming from just one lamp.

Ooh we need the eternal light, God
Yes, you know it's true
Gotta get some oil, God
To show that we need you.

Light up the ark
Light up the ark
The eternal light needs
Eight days of oil.

etc.

[Michael]

D.

[C]

D

[Michael Weiner]

It is B according to very early rabbinic sources like megilat ta'anit and pesikta rabbati.

[Chaim]

A

[Samuel Kuperwasser]

A

[Sholom]

D.

[mendy brukirer]

a josephus" Now Judas celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the temple for eight days, and omitted no sort of pleasures thereon; but he feasted them upon very rich and splendid sacrifices; and he honored God, and delighted them by hymns and psalms. Nay, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs, when, after a long time of intermission, they unexpectedly had regained the freedom of their worship, that they made it a law for their posterity, that they should keep a festival, on account of the restoration of their temple worship, for eight days. And from that time to this we celebrate this festival, and call it Lights. I suppose the reason was, because this liberty beyond our hopes appeared to us; and that thence was the name given to that festival. Judas also rebuilt the walls round about the city, and reared towers of great height against the incursions of enemies, and set guards therein. He also fortified the city Bethsura, that it might serve as a citadel against any distresses that might come from our enemies."

[A Yid]

B

[Why not...]

Will you ship to UK for the winner/

[Daniel]

D
think for a change has the correct explanation.

[A. Nuran]

D, or Mu "Unask the question