It is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt in 164 BCE against the Syrian-Greek Seleucid Empire and the Hellenized Jews, led by Mattityahu, a Jewish priest. After three years of fighting, they finally liberated the Temple. The repossession of the intellectual and religious center amplified the power of warriors. Although the fighting lingered on, the contemporaries witnessed two miracles: victory against a more forceful army and the miracle of oil. According to a Talmudic legend, one flask was found with only enough oil to burn for one day, yet it burned for eight days. An eight-day festival was declared by the Jewish sages to commemorate this miracle.