Category:Dedication

Ded`i*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. dedicatio.]

1. The act of setting apart or consecrating to a divine Being, or to a sacred use, often with religious solemnities; solemn appropriation; as, the dedication of Solomon's temple.

2. A devoting or setting aside for any particular purpose; as, a dedication of lands to public use.

3. An address to a patron or friend, prefixed to a book, testifying respect, and often recommending the work to his special protection and favor.

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

The Feast of Dedication - Of the post-Exilian festivals reference is made to the feast of Dedication (John 10:22). This feast was appointed by Judas Maccabaeus in commemoration of the purification of the temple after it had been polluted by Antiochus Epiphanes.