1 Maccabees 4:36–59

³⁶Then said Judas and his brethren, Behold, our enemies are discomfited: let us go up to cleanse and dedicate the sanctuary. ³⁷Upon this all the host assembled themselves together, and went up into mount Sion. ³⁸And when they saw the sanctuary desolate, and the altar profaned, and the gates burned up, and shrubs growing in the courts as in a forest, or in one of the mountains, yea, and the priests’ chambers pulled down; ³⁹They rent their clothes, and made great lamentation, and cast ashes upon their heads, ⁴⁰And fell down flat to the ground upon their faces, and blew an alarm with the trumpets, and cried toward heaven. ⁴¹Then Judas appointed certain men to fight against those that were in the fortress, until he had cleansed the sanctuary.

⁴²So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had pleasure in the law: ⁴³Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones into an unclean place. ⁴⁴And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt offerings, which was profaned; ⁴⁵They thought it best to pull it down, lest it should be a reproach to them, because the heathen had defiled it: wherefore they pulled it down, ⁴⁶And laid up the stones in the mountain of the temple in a convenient place, until there should come a prophet to shew what should be done with them. ⁴⁷Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a new altar according to the former; ⁴⁸And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within the temple, and hallowed the courts. ⁴⁹They made also new holy vessels, and into the temple they brought the candlestick, and the altar of burnt offerings, and of incense, and the table. ⁵⁰And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give light in the temple. ⁵¹Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun to make.

⁵²Now on the five and twentieth day of the ninth month, which is called the month Casleu, in the hundred forty and eighth year, they rose up betimes in the morning, ⁵³And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar of burnt offerings, which they had made. ⁵⁴Look, at what time and what day the heathen had profaned it, even in that was it dedicated with songs, and citherns, and harps, and cymbals. ⁵⁵Then all the people fell upon their faces, worshipping and praising the God of heaven, who had given them good success. ⁵⁶And so they kept the dedication of the altar eight days and offered burnt offerings with gladness, and sacrificed the sacrifice of deliverance and praise. ⁵⁷They decked also the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold, and with shields; and the gates and the chambers they renewed, and hanged doors upon them. ⁵⁸Thus was there very great gladness among the people, for that the reproach of the heathen was put away.

⁵⁹Moreover Judas and his brethren with the whole congregation of Israel ordained, that the days of the dedication of the altar should be kept in their season from year to year by the space of eight days, from the five and twentieth day of the month Casleu, with mirth and gladness.