Tonight we light the first candle for Chanukah. This is a good time to remember the significance of Gush Etzion as the site of two of the battles fought by the Maccabees against the Greeks. Sharon Katz’s Voices Magazine online has the story. And to be clear, the events described in the Maccabean revolt against the Assyrian Greeks took place 2200 years ago. That’s before the Romans, before Jesus, before Islam, before the Ottoman Empire—and just a few kilometers north of where the matriarchs and patriarchs are buried. Just think about that the next time you hear someone say that the West Bank is “Palestinian land.”
Shimshonit 
Thanks for the historical reminder; chag sameach!
Ilana-Davita: You’re welcome. Chanukah sameach!
[…] about Chanukah and Jpix. Batya posts about pirsumei nisa and how we dress. Shimshonit writes about Chanukah in Gush Etzion. Chabad Lubavitch posts about an ancient olive press in Israel. Letters of thought muses about […]
Davka, it’s where we have the most historic connections, the Left wants to give away…
Thanks for the reminder. Last year our youngest was too young to appreciate the story of the battle that took place across the road.
I think I’ll take the kids over there for a short walk later today.
Heck… nice excuse to leave work early! :-)
Batya: Almost incredible, isn’t it? Nothin’ like post-Zionism to make me dizzy.
Treppenwitz: I still remember your very fine post about the battle near Elazar of a couple of years ago. Enjoy your tiyul. Perhaps Yonah will appreciate more of the history this time—it’s amazing what a difference a year makes in a young life.