And now see that you keep the feast of booths in the month of Chislev: Because the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea had cleansed and rededicated the Temple, and had also offered sacrifices, they now urge the Jews in Egypt to observe the festival commemorating the rededication of the Temple, that is, Hanukkah. Good News Bible renders And now as “This is why,” which shows clearly the connection between this verse and the previous one. Another possible model is “Since we have done all these things.” Confusingly, Hanukkah is referred to here as the feast of booths in the month of Chislev. The feast of booths (Good News Bible “the Festival of Shelters”) was celebrated in the fall, in the seventh month, Tishri. Chislev was the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar, mid-November to mid-December (see 1Macc 4.52). In 2Macc 10.6 it is said that the rededication of the Temple was celebrated “in the manner of the feast of booths,” and that is surely what is intended here. Zeitlin even suggests that the word “like” was accidentally omitted from the Greek manuscripts. Regardless, Good News Bible offers a clear model with “a festival similar to the Festival of Shelters,” and we suggest that translators follow this. Booths were temporary dwellings (or huts) in which the people lived for a week during the Festival of Shelters. For feast of booths, translators should use the expression they have used elsewhere (see, for example, Lev 23.34; Zech 14.16). Good News Bible spells Chislev as “Kislev.” Translators should follow their own spelling patterns (orthographies) for the correct spelling.

In the one hundred and eighty-eighth year corresponds to 124 b.c. (see the comments on 1Macc 1.10). It is the date of the letter in verses 1-9.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Since we have done all these things, it is urgent [or, we urge you] to celebrate in the month of Kislev a festival similar to the Festival of Shelters [or, Huts]. We write this in the year 188.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Maccabees. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.