Bar Kokhba Revolt

The Second Jewish-Roman War or The Second Jewish Revolt , was a second major rebellion by the Jews of Judea . Alternatively, some sources call it The Third Revolt , counting also the riots of 115 - 117 , the Kitos War , suppressed by the Senator Lucius Quietus who governed the province at the time.

The Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136; or mered bar kokhba ) against the Roman Empire was the third major rebellion by the Jews of Iudaea Province (also spelled Judaea ) and the last of the Jewish-Roman Wars . Simon bar Kokhba , the commander of the revolt, was acclaimed as a Messiah , a heroic figure who could restore Israel. The revolt established an independent state of Israel over parts of Judea for over two years, but a Roman army of 12 legions with auxiliaries finally crushed it. The Romans then barred Jews from Jerusalem, except to attend Tisha B'Av . Although Jewish Christians hailed Jesus as the Messiah and did not support Bar Kokhba, they were barred from Jerusalem along with the rest of the Jews. The war and its aftermath helped differentiate Christianity as a religion distinct from Judaism, see also List of events in early Christianity . The revolt is also known as The Second Jewish-Roman War , The Second Jewish Revolt , The Third Jewish-Roman War or The Third Jewish Revolt (counting the Kitos War , 115 - 117, as second). for the year 136, see: W.

Legio V Macedonica (partial) Legio XI Claudia (partial) Legio XII Fulminata (partial) Legio IV Flavia Felix (partial) Bar Kokhba's army • Bar Kokhba's guard • Local militias Samaritan Youth Bands Strength 2 legions - 20,000 (132-133) 5 legions - 80,000 (133-134) 6-7 full legions, cohorts of 5-6 more, 30-50 auxilary units - 120,000 (134-135) 200,000–400,000 Jewish militiamen • 12,000 Bar Kokhba's guard force Casualties and losses Legio XXII Deiotariana destroyed Legio IX Hispana possibly destroyed Legio X Fretensis sustained heavy casualties 200,000–400,000 Jewish militiamen killed or enslaved Total : 580,000 Jews killed, 50 fortified towns and 985 villages razed; "many more" Jews dead as a result of famine and disease. Massive Roman military casualties [a] - per Cassius Dio [b] - according to Rabbinic sources [c] - historian assessment The Bar Kokhba revolt ( ; 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 . Some historians also refer to it as the Second Revolt of Judea , not counting the Kitos War (115–117 CE), which had only marginally been fought in Judea. The revolt erupted as a result of religious and political tensions in Judea following on the failed First Revolt in 66–73 CE. These tensions were related to the establishment of a large Roman military presence in Judea, changes in administrative life and the economy, together with the outbreak and suppression of Jewish revolts from Mesopotamia to Libya and Cyrenaica. 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 . The Church Fathers and rabbinic literature emphasize the role of Rufus , governor of Judea, in provoking the revolt. In 132, the revolt led by Bar Kokhba quickly spread from central Judea across the country, cutting off the Roman garrison in Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem). Quintus Tineius Rufus, the provincial governor at the time of the erupting uprising, was attributed with the failure to subdue its early phase. Rufus is last recorded in 132, the first year of the rebellion; whether he died or was replaced is uncertain. Despite arrival of significant Roman reinforcements from Syria , Egypt and Arabia , initial rebel victories over the Romans established an independent state over most parts of Judea Province for over two years, as Simon bar Kokhba took the title of Nasi ("prince"). As well as leading the revolt, he was regarded by many Jews as the Messiah , who would restore their national independence. This setback, however, caused Emperor Hadrian to assemble a large-scale Roman force from across the Empire, which invaded Judea in 134 under the command of General Sextus Julius Severus . The Roman army was made up of six full legions with auxiliaries and elements from up to six additional legions, which finally managed to crush the revolt. The Bar Kokhba revolt resulted in the extensive depopulation of Judean communities, more so than during the First Jewish–Roman War of 70 CE. According to Cassius Dio , 580,000 Jews perished in the war and many more died of hunger and disease. In addition, many Judean war captives were sold into slavery. The Jewish communities of Judea were devastated to an extent which some scholars describe as a genocide . 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. Roman casualties were also considered heavy – XXII Deiotariana was disbanded after serious losses. In addition, some historians argue that Legio IX Hispana 's disbandment in the mid-2nd century could have been a result of this war. In an attempt to erase any memory of Judea or Ancient Israel , Emperor Hadrian wiped the name off the map and replaced it with Syria Palaestina . However, there is only circumstantial evidence linking Hadrian with the name change and the precise date is not certain. The common view that the name change was intended to "sever the connection of the Jews to their historical homeland" is disputed. The Bar Kokhba revolt greatly influenced the course of Jewish history and the philosophy of the Jewish religion. 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 . Jewish messianism was abstracted and spiritualized, and rabbinical political thought became deeply cautious and conservative. The Talmud , for instance, refers to Bar Kokhba as "Ben-Kusiba", a derogatory term used to indicate that he was a false Messiah . It was also among the key events to differentiate Christianity as a religion distinct from Judaism. Although Jewish Christians regarded Jesus as the Messiah and did not support Bar Kokhba, they were barred from Jerusalem along with the other Jews. Cassius Dio , Translation by Earnest Cary . Book scan in Internet Archive : [3] . for the year 136, see: W. Little-Known Wars of Great and Lasting Impact . The Prophecies of Daniel 2 . Known as the Bar Kokhba Revolt, after its charismatic leader, Simon Bar Kokhba, whom many Jews regarded as their promised messiah : Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= ( help ) "Israel Tour Daily Newsletter" . 27 July 2010. The Essenes, the Scrolls, and the Dead Sea . Up until this date the Bar Kokhba documents indicate that towns, villages and ports where Jews lived were busy with industry and activity. Afterwards there is an eerie silence, and the archaeological record testifies to little Jewish presence until the Byzantine era, in En Gedi. This picture coheres with what we have already determined in Part I of this study, that the crucial date for what can only be described as genocide, and the devastation of Jews and Judaism within central Judea, was 135 CE and not, as usually assumed, 70 CE, despite the siege of Jerusalem and the Temple's destruction Mor, M. Teaching about genocide: issues, approaches and resources. p24. [5] David Goodblatt, 'The political and social history of the Jewish community in the Land of Israel,' in William David Davies, Louis Finkelstein, Steven T. The archaeology of Ancient Judea and Palestine . In the first place, he refounded Jerusalem as a Graeco-Roman city under the name of Aelia Capitolina. However, that Jewish writers such as Philo, in particular, and Josephus, who flourished while Judea was still formally in existence, used the name Palestine for the Land of Israel in their Greek works, suggests that this interpretation of history is mistaken. Hadrian’s choice of Syria Palaestina may be more correctly seen as a rationalization of the name of the new province, in accordance with its area being far larger than geographical Judea. Indeed, Syria Palaestina had an ancient pedigree that was intimately linked with the area of greater Israel." sfn error: no target: CITEREFJacobson2001 ( help ) M. Eccl." iv.6,§2; Orosius "Hist." vii.13 Davidson, Linda (2002).

Legio V Macedonica (partial) Legio XI Claudia (partial) Legio XII Fulminata (partial) Legio IV Flavia Felix (partial) Bar Kokhba's army • Bar Kokhba's guard • Local militias Samaritan Youth Bands Strength 2 legions – 20,000 (132–133) 5 legions – 80,000 (133–134) 6–7 full legions, cohorts of 5–6 more, 30–50 auxilary units – 120,000 (134–135) 200,000–400,000 militiamen • 12,000 Bar Kokhba's guard force Casualties and losses Legio XXII Deiotariana possibly destroyed Legio X Fretensis sustained heavy casualties 200,000–400,000 militiamen killed or enslaved The Bar Kokhba revolt ( Mereḏ Bar Kōḵəḇā ) was a large-scale armed rebellion initiated by the Jews of Judea , led by Simon bar Kokhba , against the Roman Empire in 132 CE. Lasting until 136, it was the third and final escalation of the Jewish–Roman wars . Like the First Jewish–Roman War and the Second Jewish–Roman War , the Bar Kokhba revolt resulted in a total Jewish defeat; Bar Kokhba himself was killed by Roman troops at Betar in 135 and the Jewish rebels who remained after his death were all killed or enslaved within the next year. Roman rule in Judea was not well-received among the Jewish population, especially after the destruction of the Second Temple during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70. The Romans had also continued to maintain a large military presence across the province; pushed unpopular changes in administrative and economic life; constructed the colony of Aelia Capitolina over the destroyed city of Jerusalem ; and erected a place of worship for Jupiter on Jerusalem's Temple Mount , where the Jews' Second Temple had stood. Rabbinic literature and the Church Fathers emphasize the role of Quintus Tineius Rufus , the erstwhile Roman governor of Judea, in provoking the Bar Kokhba revolt. The charismatic and messianic nature of Bar Kokhba may have also been a factor in popularizing the uprising across all of Judea. With the onset of the conflict, initial rebel victories established an independent Jewish enclave covering much of the province for several years. Bar Kokhba was appointed nasi ( נָשִׂיא , lit. ' prince ' ) of the rebels' provisional state, and much of Judea's populace regarded him as the Messiah of Judaism who would restore Jewish national independence . This initial setback for the Romans, however, led Hadrian to assemble a large army — six full legions with auxiliaries and other elements from up to six additional legions, all under the command of Sextus Julius Severus — and launch an extensive military campaign across Judea in 134, ultimately crushing the revolt. The killing of Bar Kokhba and the subsequent defeat of his rebels yielded disastrous consequences for Judea's Jewish populace, even more so than the crackdown that had taken place during and after the First Jewish–Roman War. Based on archeological evidence and ancient sources, Judea was heavily depopulated as a result of many of the Jews being killed or expelled by Roman troops, and a significant number of captives were sold into slavery. Roman casualties are also considered to have been heavy; the Roman army disbanded Legio XXII Deiotariana following the revolt, perhaps due to serious losses. Following the failure of the Bar Kokhba revolt, the center of Jewish society shifted from Judea to Galilee . The Jews were also subjected to a series of religious edicts by the Romans, including an edict that barred all Jews from entering Jerusalem. After Hadrian's death in 138, the Romans scaled back on their crackdown across Judea, but the ban on Jewish entry into Jerusalem remained in place, exempting only those Jews who wished to enter the city for Tisha B'Av . The Bar Kokhba revolt also had philosophical and religious ramifications; Jewish belief in the Messiah was abstracted and spiritualized, and rabbinical political thought became deeply cautious and conservative. The Talmud refers to Bar Kokhba as "Ben Koziva" ( בֶּן כּוֹזִיבָא , lit. ' Son of Deception ' ), a derogatory term asserting that he was a false Messiah . The rebellion was also among the events that helped differentiate Early Christianity from Judaism . Little-Known Wars of Great and Lasting Impact . The Cambridge history of Judaism . [9780521772488 The Cambridge history of Judaism ]. The Prophecies of Daniel 2 . Known as the Bar Kokhba Revolt, after its charismatic leader, Simon Bar Kokhba, whom many Jews regarded as their promised messiah "Israel Tour Daily Newsletter" . 27 July 2010. The Essenes, the Scrolls, and the Dead Sea . These texts, combined with the relics of those who hid in caves along the western side of the Dead Sea, tells us a great deal. What is clear from the evidence of both skeletal remains and artefacts is that the Roman assault on the Jewish population of the Dead Sea was so severe and comprehensive that no one came to retrieve precious legal documents, or bury the dead. Up until this date the Bar Kokhba documents indicate that towns, villages and ports where Jews lived were busy with industry and activity. Afterwards there is an eerie silence, and the archaeological record testifies to little Jewish presence until the Byzantine era, in En Gedi. "Cassius Dio's figures for the demographic consequences of the Bar Kokhba War: Exaggeration or reliable account?" . The Cities of the Eastern Roman Provinces (2nd ed.). This provoked the last Jewish war, which seems from our meager accounts [...] to have resulted in the desolation of Judaea and the practical extermination of its Jewish population. The Cambridge History of Judaism .

The Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 AD) was a major uprising by the Jews of Judaea against the Roman Empire , marking the final and most devastating of the Jewish–Roman wars . Led by Simon bar Kokhba , the rebels succeeded in establishing an independent Jewish state that lasted for several years. The revolt was ultimately crushed by the Romans, resulting in the near-depopulation of Judea through large-scale killings, mass enslavement, and the displacement of many Jews from the region. Resentment toward Roman rule in Judaea and nationalistic aspirations remained high following the destruction of Jerusalem during the First Jewish Revolt in 70 AD. The immediate triggers of the Bar Kokhba revolt included Emperor Hadrian 's decision to build Aelia Capitolina —a Roman colony dedicated to Jupiter —on the ruins of Jerusalem, extinguishing hopes for the Temple's reconstruction, as well as a possible ban on circumcision , a central Jewish practice. Unlike the earlier revolt, the rebels were well-prepared, using guerrilla tactics and underground hideouts embedded in their villages. Initially, the rebels achieved considerable success, driving Roman forces out of much of the province. Simon bar Kokhba was declared " nasi " (prince) of Israel, and the rebels established a full administration, issuing their own weights and coinage . Contemporary documents celebrated a new era of "the redemption of Israel," and coinage carried similar slogans, dated according to the years of independence. The tide turned when Hadrian appointed one of Rome’s most skilled generals, Sextus Julius Severus , to lead the campaign, supported by six full legions , auxiliary units, and reinforcements from up to six additional legions. Hadrian himself also participated in directing operations for a time. The Romans launched a broad offensive across Judea, systematically devastating towns, villages, and the countryside. In 135 AD, the fortified stronghold of Betar , the rebels' last center of resistance, was captured and destroyed, and Simon bar Kokhba was killed, effectively ending the revolt. In its final stages, many sought refuge in natural caves , particularly in the Judaean Desert , but Roman troops besieged these hideouts, cutting off supplies and killing, starving or capturing those inside. The consequences of the revolt were devastating for the Jewish population of Judaea. Ancient and contemporary sources estimate that hundreds of thousands were killed, while many others were enslaved or exiled. The region of Judea was largely depopulated, and Jewish life shifted to Galilee and the expanding diaspora . Messianic hopes became more abstract, and rabbinic Judaism adopted a cautious, non-revolutionary stance. The divide between Judaism and early Christianity also deepened. The Romans imposed harsh religious prohibitions, including bans on circumcision and Sabbath observance , expelled Jews from Jerusalem, restricted their entry to one annual visit, and repopulated the city with foreigners. Legions and veterans: Roman army papers 1971–2000 . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).