And so what if Josephus is also good history. Can a secular history establish a religious festival for the Jews?
Since it has been alleged that merely echoing language or retelling episodes of the “Apocrypha” does not count as the New Testament citing the “Apocrypha,” here is a list of instances where the Old Testament is directly quoted and labelled as scripture by New Testament.
Isaiah 53
Psalms 46
Deuteronomy 23
The 12 Minor Prophets 21
Exodus 17
Genesis 17
Proverbs 7
Jeremiah 5
Leviticus 4
Samuel 4
Kings 2
Job 1
Numbers 0
Joshua 0
Judges 0
Ruth 0
Chronicles 0
Ezra-Nehemiah 0
Ecclesiastes 0
Song of Songs 0
Lamentations 0
Ezekiel 0
Daniel 0
It is like Purim. Please show me where the Temple re-dedication was directed by God. God’s Presence departed the Temple in Ezekiel 10. The Glory of the Lord never returned to the Temple until Jesus Christ walked up the steps.