Hebrew Union College Faculty A.J. Berkovitz, Ph.D., Reflects on The Scroll of Antiochus, The Almost Biblical Book of Hanukkah

Just in time for Hanukkah, Dr Berkovitz reflects on the scroll of Antiochus, the almost biblical book of Hanukkah, in an article for the Jewish Review of Books. The Scroll of Antiochus, an Aramaic text composed centuries after the Hasmonean revolt, retells the Hanukkah story with biblical cadence and archaic language, even borrowing motifs from Esther and Judges. Though never part of the Hebrew Bible, it circulated widely, appearing in dozens of manuscripts, translated into many languages, and incorporated into Hanukkah liturgy in communities from Italy to Yemen. While excluded from printed Bibles, it endured in prayer books well into the 20th century and remains accessible today through platforms like Sefaria.