his soldiers, and gave
them order to fight against those guards that were in the citadel, until
he should have purified the temple. When therefore he had carefully
purged it, and had brought in new vessels, the candlestick, the table
[of shew-bread], and the altar [of incense], which were made of gold,
he hung up the veils at the gates, and added doors to them. He also took
down the altar [of burnt-offering], and built a new one of stones that
he gathered together, and not of such as were hewn with iron tools. So
on the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, which the Macedonians
call Apeliens, they lighted the lamps that were on the candlestick, and
offered incense upon the altar [of incense], and laid the loaves upon
the table [of shew-bread], and offered burnt-offerings upon the new
altar [of burnt-offering]. Now it so fell out, that these things were
done on the very same day on which their Divine worship had fallen off,
and was reduced to a profane and common use, after three years' time;
for so it was, that the temple was made desolate by Antiochus, and so
continued for three years. This desolation happened to the temple in
the hundred forty and fifth year, on the twenty-fifth day of the month
Apeliens, and on the hundred fifty and third olympiad: but it was
dedicated anew, on the same day, the twenty-fifth of the month
Apeliens, on the hundred and forty-eighth year, and on the hundred and
fifty-fourth olympiad. And this desolation came to pass according to the
prophecy of Daniel, which was given four hundred and eight years before;
for he declared that the Macedonians would dissolve that worship [for
some time].

7. 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