Hanukkah Trivia

Put aside the dreidels and latkes, for it is time for Hanukkah Trivia! I welcome comments if some of these questions are badly worded or just bad questions, period. I also welcome suggestions for new questions.

I would like to thank SOOPOO and pokergrinder for already submitting to this trivia challenge and their suggestions and comments.

1. How many candle holders are on a menorah?
   
2. The original Hanukkah miracle occurred after who recaptured the Temple from whom?
   
3. What game might be played to celebrate Hanukkah?
   
4. What is the name of the first Hanukkah candle to be lit?
   
5. What are two of the most popular foods might one eat to celebrate Hanukkah?
   
6. In the original Hebrew, Hanukkah is an acronym for what?
   
7. The story of Hanukkah can be found in which books of the Orthodox bible?
   
8. The miracle of Hannukah is that a one-day supply of temple oil lasted how long?
   
9. When Hanukkah falls on the Sabbath, which should be lit first, the Hanukkah candle or the Shabbat candle?
   
10. How many blessings are said at the lighting of each candle?
    
11. Which president was the first to have a public Hanukkah candle lighting?
    
12. Where in the house should the menorah be located?
    

The letters are nun, gimmel, hey, and shin, an acronym for “nes gadol hayah sham,” which means “a great miracle happened there.”

Quote: Pacomartin

The letters are nun, gimmel, hey, and shin, an acronym for “nes gadol hayah sham,” which means “a great miracle happened there.”

I don't dispute the letters, as I don't know how to pronounce them, but Wikipedia does not agree with you on what they mean.

Quote: Wikipedia

(Hanukkah) is also the Hebrew acronym for ח נרות והלכה כבית הלל – "Eight candles, and the halakha is like the House of Hillel". This is a reference to the disagreement between two rabbinical schools of thought – the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai – on the proper order in which to light the Hanukkah flames. Shammai opined that eight candles should be lit on the first night, seven on the second night, and so on down to one on the last night (because the miracle was greatest on the first day). Hillel argued in favor of starting with one candle and lighting an additional one every night, up to eight on the eighth night (because the miracle grew in greatness each day). Jewish law adopted the position of Hillel.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

Quote: Wizard

I don't dispute the letters, as I don't know how to pronounce them, but Wikipedia does not agree with you on what they mean.

My mistake, I was giving the meaning of the four letters on a dreidel which are an acronym for "A great miracle happened there".

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/dreidel-2016-12-24

Quote: Pacomartin

My mistake, I was giving the meaning of the four letters on a dreidel which are an acronym for "A great miracle happened there".

You get partial credit for trying what I consider the most difficult question. Please have at some of the others.

Quote: Wizard

Put aside the dreidels and latkes, for it is time for Hanukkah Trivia! I welcome comments if some of these questions are badly worded or just bad questions, period. I also welcome suggestions for new questions.

I would like to thank SOOPOO and pokergrinder for already submitting to this trivia challenge and their suggestions and comments.

1. How many candle holders are on a menorah?
   
2. The original Hanukkah miracle occurred after who recaptured the Temple from whom?
   
3. What game might be played to celebrate Hanukkah?
   
4. What is the name of the first Hanukkah candle to be lit?
   
5. What are two of the most popular foods might one eat to celebrate Hanukkah?
   
6. In the original Hebrew, Hanukkah is an acronym for what?
   
7. The story of Hanukkah can be found in which books of the Orthodox bible?
   
8. The miracle of Hannukah is that a one-day supply of temple oil lasted how long?
   
9. When Hanukkah falls on the Sabbath, which should be lit first, the Hanukkah candle or the Shabbat candle?
   
10. How many blessings are said at the lighting of each candle?
    
11. Which president was the first to have a public Hanukkah candle lighting?
    
12. Where in the house should the menorah be located?
    

I'm embarrassed that I don't know nearly as many of these as I should. I do hope you will post the answers soon. Thanks!

Quote: FrGamble

I'm embarrassed that I don't know nearly as many of these as I should. I do hope you will post the answers soon. Thanks!

Hola Padre!

I plan to post the answers tomorrow. Meanwhile, feel free to get some partial credit and answer what you can.

#2 The revolt of the Maccabees drove the Seleucids from Judea in 160. The Seleucids left only enough oil to burn in the candelabrum for one day, but it burned for eight days allowing the Jews enough time secure more oil.


I suppose the idea of an extended holiday in the middle of Winter makes sense. An extended holiday in the warm summer might have jeapardized the harvest.
We have Saturnalia (7 days), Hannukah (8 days), and the 12 days of Christmas.

Quote: Pacomartin

#2 The revolt of the Maccabees drove the Seleucids from Judea in 160. The Seleucids left only enough oil to burn in the candelabrum for one day, but it burned for eight days allowing the Jews enough time secure more oil.

Correct!

Here is a trick question -- How long did the original Hanukkah Miracle last?

Quote: Wizard

Here is a trick question -- How long did the original Hanukkah Miracle last?

Interesting trick. I wonder what the answer is to how long Joshua's miracle lasted when ordered the sun to stand still? It is usually said to be up for ~24 hours.



“Modern English translations, which follow the King James translation of 1611, usually interpret this text to mean that the sun and moon stopped moving,”

Colin Humphreys from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy. explained. “But going back to the original Hebrew text, we determined that an alternative meaning could be that the sun and moon just stopped doing what they normally do: they stopped shining.”

Humphreys said that if the biblical account means that the light from the sun appeared to stop shining, it may refer to an eclipse.

“This interpretation is supported by the fact that the Hebrew word translated ‘stand still’ has the same root as a Babylonian word used in ancient astronomical texts to describe eclipses,” he said.

In which case it looks like Joshua stopped the sun {from shining} on October 30, 1207 BCE when an annular eclipse occurred.




As any physicist would tell you if the Earth stopped spinning for an extra 12 hours, the result would be tornados, earthquakes, and all kinds of havoc that would destroy most of life on Earth. Dr. Richard Kent has found an explanation that he feels can explain away this impossibility.
A bible teacher explains scientifically how Joshua stopped the sun