In 165 BCE, a group of warriors led by Judah Maccabee and his band of brothers ushered in a new era in Jewish history when they routed the soldiers of the Greek-Syrian empire and rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

That victory, and the miracle of the menorah that followed, is celebrated every year by Jews around the world at Chanukah.

But if the same thing had happened today, would contemporary Jews hail the Maccabees as heroes?

The place in Jewish history of the Maccabees — a nickname for the first members of the Hasmonean dynasty that ruled an autonomous Jewish kingdom — is much more complex than their popular image might suggest.

Some 2,200 years after the Maccabees’ revolt, historians and archeologists are uncovering new information about their era.

This year’s biggest discovery is a correspondence between Seleukes IV, whose brother and heir was Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Chanukah story, and one of Seleukes’ chiefs in Judea, found on parts of an ancient stele.

Prof. Dov Gera of Ben-Gurion University, who studied the stone’s inscription, said it confirms the account by the Jewish historian Josephus regarding the tightening grip of the Greek-Syrian empire over its subjects’ religious practices.

Consider the latke (Chanukah’s version of fast food). It is, in my opinion, the most perfect, delicious use for the potatoes — better even, in some circumstances, than the French fry, potato chip, or potato kugel. The latke has a dark golden crispy crunchy outside and soft tasty middle.

I suggest that you use starchy potatoes for latkes. Russets and Yukon Gold are my favorites. Squeeze as much moisture out of the shredded potatoes as you can. Too much liquid makes for a thin pancake. Try not to make them too large or too thick — the outside will cook up just fine, but the inside will be raw — and take care not to overcook. They are best served immediately with sour cream, apple sauce, or all by themselves. You don’t have to peel the potatoes if you wash them thoroughly. Peeling will give the latke a lighter color, but that’s about it.

When it comes to latkes, there is an old debate as to what exactly is the “best” recipe. There are hundreds, nay thousands, of recipes, all purported to be the “ultimate.” Not all the following recipes are the traditional potato/egg mixture but I promise, all of them will have you standing in line waiting for the next batch to finish.

Cabot Creamery Cooperative offers Cabot OU Sharp Cheddar, certified OU-D by the Orthodox Union and kosher for Passover as well. Each year, Cabot produces a limited amount of Kosher Sharp, which is aged for 10 months. Reduced-fat cheddars, with various seasonings, are certified kosher by Tablet K.

For information, visit www.shopcabot.com/oukosher.

The following recipe comes from the company.

The United States Post Office offers a new Chanukah design featuring a photograph of a menorah with nine lit candles. The menorah was designed by Lisa Regan of the Garden Deva Sculpture Company in Tulsa, Okla., and photographed by Ira Wexler of Braddock Heights, Md. Carl T. Herrman of North Las Vegas, Nev., was the art director.

All 35 million stamps are available in sheets of 20.

The 2009 Hanukkah stamp is the third U.S. issuance to commemorate the holiday. In 1996, the Postal Service issued its first Chanukah stamp, which featured a stylized illustration of a menorah. A design featuring an ornate dreidel followed in 2004.

To accompany fried Chanukah treats, Royal Wine Corp. of Bayonne suggests wine. According to the company, “wines with sweet, bubbly, or even mineral characteristics have demonstrated an ability to stand up to the challenge fried foods present.”

Suggestions include the Italian sparkling wines Bartenura Asti and Prosecco. Goose Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand received a score of 90 from Wine Spectator and acts as a palate refresher “keeping taste buds alive.” Bartenura’s Moscato, more commonly referred to as the “blue bottle,” looks festive on a Chanukah table. This year, the semi-sweet white wine with bubbles comes packaged in a gift box. Malvasia, also from Bartenura, is a light red wine that can be served as an aperitif or with a meal. Baron Herzog’s classic Jeunesse, a Cabernet Sauvignon, Herzog Special Reserve Pinot Noir, and Herzog Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, awarded 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and made in Herzog’s Oxnard, Calif. winery, are other suggestions.

Several Chanukahs ago my husband came home with an electric deep fryer large enough to accommodate a 12-pound turkey. I’d heard of suburban folks frying turkeys in their garages, but because we live in a Manhattan apartment I was less than thrilled with the gigantic appliance — which I had no room to store.

That first Chanukah, however, I acquiesced to deep-frying a turkey, which turned out to be more delicious than you can imagine. The bird was moist on the inside and crisp on the outside, an achievement that anyone who has roasted a turkey can tell you is no easy feat. Surprisingly the bird didn’t taste greasy.

Better yet, the preparation time was reduced from several hours to 45 minutes.

1. Use a deep pot or saucepan, not a skillet or frying pan. A pot that comes with a basket insert is preferable.

2. Face the pot’s handle away from the edge of the stove to reduce the chances of your knocking over a pot of hot oil. If possible, place the pot of oil on a back burner.

3. To reduce the chances of spatters or oil bubbling over, do not fill the pot or saucepan with oil more than halfway.