After three years of war, Judah Maccabee enters Jerusalem and finds the Temple desecrated beyond recognition. This episode follows the eight days of purification, rebuilding, and emotional reckoning required to restore sacred space. Alex examines where and why the miracle of the oil story emerged centuries later, how the Talmudic rabbis reframed a military victory as divine providence, and what was lost and gained in that transformation. At its core, this is about trauma, healing, and the moment when warriors remembered what they were fighting for.

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