Many in the Hebrew roots movement teach that Jesus went to the temple to "celebrate" Hanukkah. Here is something that was sent to me outlining some of the background of the Maccabbee family:
Judah Maccabees father, Mathathias murdered a man on the altar
1Mac 2:23
Now when he had left speaking these words, there came one of
the Jews in the sight of all to sacrifice on the altar which was
at Modin, according to the king's commandment.
1Mac 2:24
Which thing when Mattathias saw, he was inflamed with zeal,
and his reins trembled, neither could he forbear to shew his
anger according to judgment: wherefore he ran, and slew him upon
the altar.
Mattathais desecrated the Sabbath by warring.
1Mac 2:32
They pursued after them a great number, and having overtaken
them, they camped against them, and made war against them on the
sabbath day.
1Mac 2:33
And they said unto them, Let that which ye have done hitherto
suffice; come forth, and do according to the commandment of the
king, and ye shall live.
1Mac 2:34
But they said, We will not come forth, neither will we do the
king's commandment, to profane the sabbath day.
1Mac 2:35
So then they gave them the battle with all speed.
1Mac 2:36
Howbeit they answered them not, neither cast they a stone at
them, nor stopped the places where they lay hid;
1Mac 2:37
But said, Let us die all in our innocency: heaven and earth
will testify for us, that ye put us to death wrongfully.
1Mac 2:38
So they rose up against them in battle on the sabbath, and
they slew them, with their wives and children and their cattle,
to the number of a thousand people.
1Mac 2:39
Now when Mattathias and his friends understood hereof, they
mourned for them right sore.
1Mac 2:40
And one of them said to another, If we all do as our brethren
have done, and fight not for our lives and laws against the
heathen, they will now quickly root us out of the earth.
1Mac 2:41
At that time therefore they decreed, saying, Whosoever shall
come to make battle with us on the sabbath day, we will fight
against him; neither will we die all, as our brethren that were
murdered im the secret places.
Judah was a warrior many escapades of his bloody battles are recounted in 1 & 2 Maccabees.
1Mac 3:1
Then his son Judas, called Maccabeus, rose up in his stead.
1Mac 3:2
And all his brethren helped him, and so did all they that
held with his father, and they fought with cheerfulness the
battle of Israel.
1Mac 3:3
So he gat his people great honour, and put on a breastplate
as a giant, and girt his warlike harness about him, and he made
battles, protecting the host with his sword.
1Mac 3:4
In his acts he was like a lion, and like a lion's whelp
roaring for his prey.
1Mac 3:5
For He pursued the wicked, and sought them out, and burnt up
those that vexed his people.
1Mac 3:6
Wherefore the wicked shrunk for fear of him, and all the
workers of iniquity were troubled, because salvation prospered
in his hand.
1Mac 3:7
Judah took it upon himself to cleanse and re dedicate the Temple, which he had no jurisdiction over. He was a man of war and God had told David that a man of war had unclean hands and therefore could not build His Holy Temple.
1 Chron 28:3 But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou [hast been] a man of war, and hast shed blood.
When Hezekiah had the Temple rededicated he properly called for the Levitical priesthood to cleanse the Temple:
2 Chron 29:5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy [place].
Judah implemented priests of his choosing. They tore down the altar and rebuilt it according to what was right in their own eyes.
1Mac 4:42
So he chose priests of blameless conversation, such as had
pleasure in the law:
1Mac 4:43
Who cleansed the sanctuary, and bare out the defiled stones
into an unclean place.
1Mac 4:44
And when as they consulted what to do with the altar of burnt
offerings, which was profaned;
1Mac 4:45
They 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,
1Mac 4:46
And 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.
1Mac 4:47
Then they took whole stones according to the law, and built a
new altar according to the former;
1Mac 4:48
And made up the sanctuary, and the things that were within
the temple, and hallowed the courts.
1Mac 4:49
They 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.
1Mac 4:50
And upon the altar they burned incense, and the lamps that
were upon the candlestick they lighted, that they might give
light in the temple.
1Mac 4:51
Furthermore they set the loaves upon the table, and spread
out the veils, and finished all the works which they had begun
to make.
1Mac 4:52
Now 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,
1Mac 4:53
And offered sacrifice according to the law upon the new altar
of burnt offerings, which they had made.
1Mac 4:54
Look, 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.
1Mac 4:57
They 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.
This sounds all too familiar, for when David sought to move the Ark of the Covenant without consulting Gods instructions, tragedy struck and Uzza was killed [1 Chron 13:10]
The end of Judah and his brothers was death by the sword, each one killed in a bloody battle.
Judahalso instructed that Sukkot [Feast of Tabernacles] be observed on chislev 25. He had no authority to so, rendering that feast of Lord unclean as well. Note that Hanukkah was originally known as the Feast of Fire [based on a legend concerning Nehemiah 1 Mac 1:19-32].
1 Mac 4:59
Moreover 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.
2 Mac 1:9 We are now reminding you to celebrate the feast of Booths in the month of Chislev.
18 We shall be celebrating the purification of the temple on the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, so we thought it right to inform you, that you too may celebrate the feast of Booths and of the fire that appeared when Nehemiah, the rebuilder of the temple and the altar, offered sacrifices.
2 Mac 10
5 On the anniversary of the day on which the temple had been profaned by the Gentiles, that is, the twenty-fifth of the same month Chislev, the purification of the temple took place.
6 The Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths, remembering how, a little while before, they had spent the feast of Booths living like wild animals in caves on the mountains.
7 Carrying rods entwined with leaves, green branches and palms, they sang hymns of grateful praise to him who had brought about the purification of his own Place.
8 By public edict and decree they prescribed that the whole Jewish nation should celebrate these days every year.
Judah and his brothers, one after another placed themselves in the position of High Priest. Simon not only elevated himself as High Priest, but made himself king, thereby replacing the kingship of David which was instituted by God.
1Mac 14:30
(For after that Jonathan, having gathered his nation
together, and been their high priest, was added to his people,
1Mac 14:35
The people therefore sang the acts of Simon, and unto what
glory he thought to bring his nation, made him their governor
and chief priest, because he had done all these things, and for
the justice and faith which he kept to his nation, and for that
he sought by all means to exalt his people.
1Mac 14:41
Also that the Jews and priests were well pleased that Simon
should be their governor and high priest for ever, until there
should arise a faithful prophet;
1Mac 14:42
Moreover that he should be their captain, and should take
charge of the sanctuary, to set them over their works, and over
the country, and over the armour, and over the fortresses, that,
I say, he should take charge of the sanctuary;
1Mac 14:43
Beside this, that he should be obeyed of every man, and that
all the writings in the country should be made in his name, and
that he should be clothed in purple, and wear gold:
1Mac 16:9
At that time was Judas John's brother wounded; but John still
followed after them, until he came to Cedron, which Cendebeus
had built.
1Mac 16:23
As concerning the rest of the acts of John, and his wars, and
worthy deeds which he did, and the building of the walls which
he made, and his doings,
1Mac 16:24
Behold, these are written in the chronicles of his
priesthood, from the time he was made high priest after his
father.
