Judas Maccabeus and his rebels took back the central sanctuary. They tore down the pagan shrines in the public square. Men hauled the contaminated debris outside the city limits. They scrubbed the precinct floors and planted new vines in the courtyard. The air smelled of burning animal fat instead of decaying offerings.
This reclamation occurred in late 164 b.c. Jerusalem rests on a mountain ridge 2,500 feet above sea level. The rebels secured the 35 acres of the upper city and the sanctuary complex. Greek military units still held the Acra citadel just a few hundred feet to the south. The proximity of enemy troops forced Judas to fortify the newly cleansed temple grounds immediately.
This fortified precinct required a pure surface for daily sacrifices. Men dragged unhewn boulders from the surrounding hills to construct a central altar. Workers struck metal against flint to spark a fresh fire. Flames caught the dry kindling and consumed the first offerings in two years. Smoke rose over the new structure while soldiers guarded the perimeter.
Fire ignited by flint burns away the stain of occupation.
That same fire fueled a brutal winter campaign. Judas marched his infantry south to crush Idumean strongholds. They battered down defensive walls and killed garrison troops. The rebels captured the fortress of Gazara after a siege of four days. The flames over Jerusalem signaled the start of a broader war.