Judas Maccabeus

Judas Maccabaeus or Maccabeus, also known as Judah Maccabee (Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, Yehudah HaMakabi), was a Jewish priest (kohen) and son of the priest Mattathias who became a pivotal military leader in the fight against Seleucid oppression. He assumed command of the Maccabean Revolt around 166 BCE following his father's death and led the resistance until his own death in battle in 160 BCE.

The Jewish festival of Hanukkah, meaning "Dedication," commemorates the moment in 164 BCE when Judah Maccabee restored Jewish worship at the Second Temple in Jerusalem. After reclaiming the sacred site, he removed the statues of Greek deities that had defiled it and performed the ritual purification that allowed traditional worship to resume.