How does the story of Hanukkah in the Babylonian Talmud differ from the account in I Maccabees?

The account of Hanukkah in I Maccabees differs significantly from the narrative found in the Babylonian Talmud regarding the primary focus and origin of the festival.

• I Maccabees: Written shortly after the events (c. 150–100 bce), this account emphasizes the military struggle of the Maccabees against the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. It details the desecration of the Temple of Jerusalem and the subsequent victory, cleansing, and rededication of the site by Judas Maccabeus. The eight-day duration is established as a commemoration of this rededication and the military success.123

• Babylonian Talmud: Compiled centuries later (c. 450–550 ce), the Talmudic account in Tractate Shabbat 21b largely omits the military history. Instead, it focuses on a divine miracle: upon reclaiming the Temple, the Maccabees found only one small jar of undefiled oil—enough for only one day—yet it miraculously burned for eight days. This narrative shifts the holiday's significance from a military victory to the commemoration of a divine act, establishing the ritual of lighting candles to publicize this miracle.43