The stage was set for another confrontation. The imperial coinage pronounced the aduentus of the Emperor to be a cheerful and blessed event in much the same terms as in other parts of the Empire.' [61][62] The Greco-Roman population of the region also suffered severely during the early stage of the revolt, persecuted by Bar Kokhba's forces. The war is also briefly mentioned by the Church father Jerome. Works on Aelia Capitolina, as Jerusalem was to be called, commenced in 131 CE. The rebels incorporated combined tactics to fight the Roman Army. [citation needed] Hadrian's death in 138 CE marked a significant relief to the surviving Jewish communities. [citation needed]. But the Great Revolt and the Bar Kokhba revolt were fought wholly within the Jewish homeland. The Jews prepared to rebel until Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah calmed them. Judaea was almost completely devastated, and Jewish life shifted from Judaea to the Galilee. There were several differences though between this fight and the first war. Lindsay Powell's book, The Bar Kokhba War AD 132–135 tells the story of the last Jewish revolt over the Roman Empire. Reverse: COL[ONIA] AEL[IA] CAPIT[OLINA] COND[ITA] ('The founding of Colonia Aelia Capitolina'). According to Rabbinic sources some 400,000 men were at the disposal of Bar Kokhba at the peak of the rebellion,[4] though historians tend to more conservative numbers of 200,000. The sacred scrolls of Judaism were ceremonially burned at the large Temple complex for Jupiter which he built on the Temple Mount. The Jews had the first one from which to learn and they were determined to do things differently. Sabotage is a possibility, as is an accidental fire, though Christian historians of the time ascribed it to divine intervention. [1], According to some views, one of the crucial battles of the war took place near Tel Shalem in the Beit She'an valley, near what is now identified as the legionary camp of Legio VI Ferrata. The Jews who were left tried to return to as normal a life as possible. Hostilities broke out in 132. The primary non-Jewish sources are an epitome of Cassius Dio’s Roman History and a handful of lines by the ecclesiastical historian Eusebius, the bishop of Caesarea. Fought circa 132–136 CE,[5] it was the last of three major Jewish–Roman wars, so it is also known as The Third Jewish–Roman War or The Third Jewish Revolt. Palestine. Killing more than half a million Jews and destroying almost a thousand villages, the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-35) was a major event in Jewish history and a blotch on the reputation of the good emperor Hadrian.The revolt was named for a man called Shimon, on coins, Bar Kosibah, on papyrus, Bar Kozibah, on rabbinic literature, and Bar Kokhba, in Christian writing. The Bar Kokhba revolt (Hebrew: מֶרֶד בַּר כּוֹכְבָא‎; Mered Bar Kokhba) was a rebellion of the Jews of the Roman province of Judea, led by Simon bar Kokhba, against the Roman Empire. [27] The Church Fathers and rabbinic literature emphasize the role of Rufus in provoking the revolt. Hadrian wasted little time though in transferring his best general, Sextus Julius Severus, from Britain to Judea, along with twelve legions (about three times as many as were sent during the first revolt). With the slowly advancing Roman army cutting supply lines, the rebels engaged in long-term defense. "Jews and Samaritans", The military and militarism in Israeli society, "Roman Legion Camp Unearthed in Megiddo - Inside Israel - News - Arutz Sheva", 'New Insight into the Bar Kokhba War and a Reappraisal of Dio Cassius 69.12-13,', WATCH: 2,000-YEAR-OLD INSCRIPTION DEDICATED TO ROMAN EMPEROR UNVEILED IN JERUSALEM, "The Dates used during the Bar Kokhba Revolt", Wars between the Jews and Romans: Simon ben Kosiba (130-136 CE), Archaeologists find tunnels from Jewish revolt against Romans, Second Temple / Ezra's Temple / Herod's Temple, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bar_Kokhba_revolt&oldid=999356349, Articles with dead external links from December 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from November 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 200,000 Jewish militiamen killed or enslaved, Large-scale destruction of Judean population by Roman troops, Suppression of Jewish religious and political autonomy by Hadrian, Vol. This view is largely supported by Cassius Dio, who wrote that the revolt began with covert attacks in line with preparation of hideout systems, though after taking over the fortresses Bar Kokhba turned to direct engagement due to his superiority in numbers. [b] – according to Rabbinic sources[4]. The Jewish communities of Judea were devastated to an extent which some scholars describe as a genocide. [29] "Ploughing up the Temple",[30][31][32] seen as a religious offence, turned many Jews against the Roman authorities. [64], As noted above, XXII Deiotariana was disbanded after serious losses. Bar Kochba followed the same strategy that the Jews had followed in the first rebellion against Rome. Shalev-Hurvitz, V. Oxford University Press 2015. p235, "Ancient Inscription Identifies Gargilius Antiques as Roman Ruler on Eve of Bar Kochva Revolt", A Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome, "Roman provincial coin of Hadrian [image]", "The Bar Kochba Revolt: A Disaster Celebrated by Zionists on Lag Ba'Omer", "Julian the Apostate and the Holy Temple", Evans, J.A.S. According to Lamentations Rabbah, the head of Bar Kokhba was presented to Emperor Hadrian after the Siege of Betar. Mohr Siebek et al. This thesis will explore the immediate causes of the Bar Kokhba revolt and compare them to other provincial revolts in the Roman Empire. [8] The Church Fathers and rabbinic literature emphasize the role of Rufus, governor of Judea, in provoking the revolt. With the subsequent withdrawal of Persian forces, Jews surrendered to the Byzantines in 625 CE or 628 CE, but were massacred by Christians in 629 CE, with the survivors fleeing to Egypt. This is how the Jewish Encyclopedia in the Article 'Bar Kokhba and Bar Kokhba War' describes the situation before the Revolt: Even after R. Joshua ben Hanahiah succeeded in preventing the Jewish Revolt, the Jews remained quiet only on the surface; in reality, for over fifteen years they prepared for a struggle against Rome. Behistun Inscription. Eusebius of Caesarea wrote that Jewish Christians were killed and suffered "all kinds of persecutions" at the hands of rebel Jews when they refused to help Bar Kokhba against the Roman troops. Judea would not be a center of Jewish religious, cultural, or political life again until the modern era, although Jews continued to sporadically populate it and important religious developments still took place there. [88], Several historians, notably W. Eck of the U-ty of Cologne, theorized that the Tel Shalem arch depicted a major battle between Roman armies and Bar Kokhba's rebels in Bet Shean valley,[83] thus extending the battle areas some 50 km northwards from Judea. Then he surrounded Jerusalem and forced them out. In between the first one (see Jerusalem Destroyed) and this one, there was a little known conflict called the Kitos War, which was fought primarily outside Judea. [24] Although Jewish Christians regarded Jesus as the Messiah and did not support Bar Kokhba,[25] they were barred from Jerusalem along with the other Jews. On Lag Ba'Omer, Israeli children celebrate the Jewish rebels' victory over the Romans 2,000 years ago. [94] The nickname "Cave of Horror" was given after the skeletons of 40 men, women and children were discovered. [56] Bar Kokhba's fate is not certain, with two alternative traditions in the Babylonian Talmud ascribing the death of Bar Kokhba either to a snake bite or other natural causes during the Roman siege or possibly killed on the orders of the Sanhedrin, as a false Messiah. The war had no chronicler such as Josephus Flavius, at least none whose work has survived. He expressed sympathy for the plight of the Jews and made a promise to rebuild their temple. Samaria partially supported the revolt, with evidence accumulating that notable numbers of Samaritan youths participated in Bar Kokhba's campaigns; though Roman wrath was directed at Samaritans, their cities were also largely spared from the total destruction unleashed on Judea. The Jews had the first one from which to learn and they were determined to do things differently. All (10) Videos (3) Events (2) Book (1) 10 results. THE BAR KOKHBA REVOLT: THE ROMAN POINT OF VIEW* By WERNER ECK. The first coin issued at the mint of Aelia Capitolina about 130/132 CE. Bar Kokhba Revolt (132-135) - The Bar Kokhba revolt was the conclusion of the wars between the Romans and the Jews. Bar Kokhba embraced this possibility and took the title Nasi Israel (prince of Israel). The Israel Antiques Authority's archaeologists Moran Hagbi and Dr. Joe Uziel speculated that "It is possible that a Roman soldier from the Tenth Legion found the coin during one of the battles across the country and brought it to their camp in Jerusalem as a souvenir. ), harvnb error: no target: CITEREFFeldman1990 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFJacobson2001 (, Justin, "Apologia", ii.71, compare "Dial." The 10th legion had to evacuate its fortress at Jerusalem. [23], The Bar Kokhba revolt greatly influenced the course of Jewish history and the philosophy of the Jewish religion. [83], A 2015 archaeological survey in Samaria identified some 40 hideout cave systems from the period, some containing Bar Kokhba's minted coins, suggesting that the war raged in Samaria at high intensity.[49]. He was known as a man of tremendous physical strength with the ability to uproot a tree while riding a horse or haul back the stone thrown by a Roman catapult. In 133/4, Severus landed in Judea with a massive army, bringing three legions from Europe (including Legio X Gemina and possibly also Legio IX Hispana), cohorts of additional legions and between 30 and 50 auxiliary units. By that time the number of Roman troops in Judea stood at nearly 80,000 - a number still inferior to rebel forces, who were also better familiar with the terrain and occupied strong fortifications. The Romans issued a coin inscribed Aelia Capitolina. The inscription is considered to greatly strengthen the claim that indeed the emperor visited Jerusalem that year, supporting the traditional claim that Hadrian's visit was among the main causes of the Bar Kokhba Revolt, and not the other way around. But they killed about 500,000. [70] The failure to rebuild the Temple has mostly been ascribed to the dramatic Galilee earthquake of 363, and traditionally also to the Jews' ambivalence about the project. Jewish messianism was abstracted and spiritualized, and rabbinical political thought became deeply cautious and conservative. At this Temple, he installed two statues, one of Jupiter, another of himself. As a result of the revolt the Jewish community in Judea was eliminated, the Roman province of Judea became the province of … Published on 18.05.2014. Gaius Publicus Marcellus, the Legate of Roman Syria, arrived commanding Legio III Gallica, while Titus Haterius Nepos, the governor of Roman Arabia, brought Legio III Cyrenaica. The Jerusalem Talmud contains descriptions of the results of the rebellion, including the Roman executions of Judean leaders. [85], In 2020, the fourth Bar Kokhba minted coin and the first inscribed with the word "Jerusalem" was found in Jerusalem Old City excavations. This raised the hopes of the Jewish people initially. Severus' arrival almost doubled the number of Roman troops facing the rebels. Several archaeological surveys have been performed during the 20th and 21st centuries in ruins of Jewish villages across Judea and Samaria, as well in the Roman-dominated cities on the Israeli coastal plain. Archaeological evidence for the revolt was found all over the site, from the outside buildings to the water system under the mountain. Hostilities broke out in 132. More than just a leader, a well respected rabbi. The Bar Kochba Revolt: A Disaster Celebrated by Zionists on Lag Ba'Omer . [citation needed], The size of the Roman army amassed against the rebels was much larger than that commanded by Titus sixty years earlier - nearly one third of the Roman army took part in the campaign against Bar Kokhba. This gave the Jews a purpose they did not have in the first war. Three potsherds with the names of three of the deceased were also found alongside the skeletons in the cave. In 438 CE, when the Empress Eudocia removed the ban on Jews' praying at the Temple site, the heads of the Community in Galilee issued a call "to the great and mighty people of the Jews" which began: "Know that the end of the exile of our people has come!" [7] The proximate reasons seem to be the construction of a new city, Aelia Capitolina, over the ruins of Jerusalem and the erection of a temple to Jupiter on the Temple Mount. But the Great Revolt and the Bar Kokhba revolt were fought wholly within the Jewish homeland. Vol. [54] The Jerusalem Talmud relates that the number of dead in Betar was enormous, that the Romans "went on killing until their horses were submerged in blood to their nostrils."[55]. By early 136 however, it is clear that the revolt was defeated. Imagine the incredible excitement of those involved in the discovery of the caves when they learned they had finally uncovered the final resting place of Bar-Kokhba and others who were with him. The revolt was led by the Judean Pharisees, with other Jewish and non-Jewish factions also playing a role. Aharon Oppenheimer, ‘The Ban on Circumcision as a Cause of the Revolt: A Reconsideration,’ Aharon Oppenheimer, התגלית שהוכיחה: מרד בר כוכבא חל גם בשומרון. iv.6,§2; Orosius "Hist." [47] The era of the redemption of Israel was announced, contracts were signed and a large quantity of Bar Kokhba Revolt coinage was struck over foreign coins. More than just a leader, a well respected rabbi, Akiva ben Yosef posited the possibility that bar Kokhba was the Jewish messiah. [57], According to Cassius Dio, 580,000 Jews were killed in the overall operations, and 50 fortified towns and 985 villages were razed to the ground,[58] with many more Jews dying of famine and disease. Despite the reference to Jerusalem, as of early 2000s, archaeological finds, and the lack of revolt coinage found in Jerusalem, supported the view that the revolt did not capture Jerusalem. At first sympathetic towards the Jews, Hadrian promised to rebuild the Temple, but the Jews felt betrayed when they found out that he intended to build a temple dedicated to Jupiter upon the ruins of the Second Temple. Enraged, Bar Kokhba confronted the elderly Rabbi Elazar, kicking him and causing his death. In 39 AD Emperor Caligula decreed that his statue be placed in every temple of the Empire, including the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which offended Jewish religious sensibilities. Knowledge Base » People & Events » History » Historical Periods & Events » Bar Kochba Rebellion. [10] Quintus Tineius Rufus, the provincial governor at the time of the erupting uprising, was attributed with the failure to subdue its early phase. "[87], Among those findings are the rebel hideout systems in the Galilee, which greatly resemble the Bar Kokhba hideouts in Judea, and though are less numerous, are nevertheless important. The Talmud, for instance, refers to Bar Kokhba as "Ben-Kusiba," a derogatory term used to indicate that he was a false Messiah. Cave of Horror is the name given to Cave 8 in the Judaean Desert of Israel, where the remains of Jewish refugees from the Bar Kokhba revolt were found. Bar Kokhba and his followers barricaded themselves within. In 2014, one half of a Latin inscription was discovered in Jerusalem during excavations near the Damascus Gate. Shimon Bar-Kokhba was the leader of the Jewish revolt against Rome between 132 and 135 C.E. [13][15] However, the Jewish population remained strong in other parts of Palestine, thriving in Galilee, Golan, Bet Shean Valley, and the eastern, southern, and western edges of Judea. He took the title of provincial governor and initiated a massive campaign to systematically subdue Judean rebel forces. The 2013 discovery of the military camp of Legio VI Ferrata near Tel Megiddo,[89] and ongoing excavations there may shed light to extension of the rebellion to the northern valleys. city. One of them is maximalists, who claim that the revolt spread through the entire Judea Province and beyond it into neighboring provinces. [2], After the suppression of the revolt, Hadrian's proclamations sought to root out Jewish nationalism in Judea,[8] which he saw as the cause of the repeated rebellions. Therefore, Hadrian, in writing to the Senate, did not employ the opening phrase commonly affected by the emperors: 'If you and your children are in health, it is well; I and the army are in health. When in A.D. He prohibited Torah law and the Hebrew calendar, and executed Judaic scholars. He first reconquered the Galilee to cut the Romans off from the sea. Many houses utilized underground hideouts, where Judean rebels hoped to withstand Roman superiority by the narrowness of the passages and even ambushes from underground. [28], An additional legion, the VI Ferrata, arrived in the province to maintain order. He had active support of most of the rabbis – in contradistinction to the first two revolts against Rome. The end came at the fortress of Betar. Hadrian renamed the region Syria Palaestina (Palestine today) in an attempt to dissuade future generations of Jews from reclaiming it. Cassius Dio also wrote: "Many Romans, moreover, perished in this war. hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. [67] Rabbinic Judaism had already become a portable religion, centered on synagogues. The Bar Kokhba revolt (Hebrew: מֶרֶד בַּר כּוֹכְבָא ‎; Mered Bar Kokhba) was a rebellion of the Jews of the Roman province of Judea, led by Simon bar Kokhba, against the Roman Empire.Fought circa 132–136 CE, it was the last of three major Jewish–Roman wars, so it is also known as The Third Jewish–Roman War or The Third Jewish Revolt. Despite easing the persecution of Jews following Hadrian's death in 138 CE, the Romans barred Jews from Jerusalem, except for attendance in Tisha B'Av. - Simeon Bar Kochba and his army were finally defeated at the city of Beitar. Roman inscriptions in Tel Shalem, Betar fortress, Jerusalem and other locations also contribute to the current historical understanding of the Bar Kokhba War.

In AD 132, Shim'on Ben Koseba, a rebel leader who assumed the messianic name Shim'on Bar Kokhba ('Son of a Star'), led the people of Judaea in open rebellion, aiming to establish their own independent Jewish state and to liberate Jerusalem from the Romans. [12], The Bar Kokhba revolt resulted in the extensive depopulation of Judean communities, more so than during the First Jewish–Roman War of 70 CE. Following the Fall of Betar, the Roman forces went on a rampage of systematic killing, eliminating all remaining Jewish villages in the region and seeking out the refugees. The Jewish leaders carefully planned the second revolt to avoid numerous mistakes that had plagued the first Great Jewish Revolt sixty years earlier. Fighting was brutal and losses were heavy on both sides. 2005. The Jewish sage Rabbi Akiva, who was the spiritual leader of the revolt,[45] identified Simon Bar Kosiba as the Jewish messiah, and gave him the surname "Bar Kokhba" meaning "Son of a Star" in the Aramaic language, from the Star Prophecy verse from Numbers 24:17: "There shall come a star out of Jacob". Mismanagement of the province during the early 2nd century might well have led to the proximate causes of the revolt, largely bringing governors with clear anti-Jewish sentiments to run the province. Instead of a procurator, they installed a praetor as a governor and stationed an entire legion, the X Fretensis, in the area. Posts about Bar Kokhba revolt written by michelinewalker. Rome also took control of the appointment of Jewish High Priests.Previous bloody conflicts between the Romans and the Jews, such as the Great Jewish Revolt of … The causes of the Bar Kokhba revolt have long been debated. Initially, the they took the Romans by surprise and scored some early successes. It was significant in that it took place at the very end of Trajan's reign and gave the future emperor, Hadrian, a taste of what he might have to contend with. [83], It is generally accepted that the Bar Kokhba revolt encompassed all of Judea, namely the villages of the Judean hills, the Judean desert, and northern parts of the Negev desert. Simon bar Kokhba was believed to be the Messiah by Rabbi Akiva, the greatest rabbinical sage of his generation, because he led a successful independence revolt against Rome.

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