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Hanukkah Hanukiah -
Brass Menorahs |
Hanukkah: Origins of the holiday
From the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", marks the
rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the
forces of Antiochus IV and commemorates the "miracle of the container
of oil". According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the
victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only
enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple
for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was
the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh
olive oil.
Hanukkah is also mentioned in the deuterocanonical books of 1
Maccabees and 2 Maccabees. 1 Maccabees states: "For eight days they
celebrated the rededication of the altar. Then Judah and his brothers
and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the
rededication... should be observed... every year... for eight days. (1
Mac. 4:56–59)" According to 2 Maccabees, "the Jews celebrated joyfully
for eight days as on the feast of Booths."
The martyrdom of Hannah and her seven sons has also been linked to
Hanukkah. According to the Talmudic story and 2 Maccabees, a Jewish
woman named Hannah and her seven sons were tortured and executed by
Antiochus for refusing to worship an idol, which would have been a
violation of Jewish law.
Hanukkah: Name |
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Judaic
Online store that provides a wide selection of all types of
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Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc;
the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of
brasses with varying properties. In comparison, bronze is principally
an alloy of copper and tin. Despite this distinction, some types of
brasses are called bronzes. Brass is a substitutional alloy. It is
used for decoration for its bright gold-like appearance; for
applications where low friction is required such as locks, gears,
bearings, doorknobs, ammunition, and valves; for plumbing and
electrical applications; and extensively in musical instruments such
as horns and bells for its acoustic properties. It is also used in
zippers, and religious items; as Menorahs.
Brass has a muted yellow color, somewhat similar to gold. It is
relatively resistant to tarnishing, and is often used as decoration
and for coins. In antiquity, polished brass was often used as a
mirror.
Brass has likely been known to humans since prehistoric times, even
before zinc itself was discovered. It was produced by melting copper
together with calamine, a zinc ore. In the German village of
Breinigerberg, an ancient Roman settlement was discovered where a
calamine ore mine existed. During the melting process, the zinc is
extracted from the calamine and mixed with the copper. Pure zinc, on
the other hand, has too low a boiling point to have been produced by
ancient metalworking techniques. The many references to "brass"
appearing throughout the King James Bible are thought to signify
another bronze alloy, or copper, rather than the strict modern
definition of brass. |
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Kosher Wines for Hanukkah |
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