Bar Kokhba Revolt

Roman Emporers

Trajan 98-117

Hadrian 117-138

Anotninus Pius 138-161

Sources

• Contemporary letters and coins. See http://www.livius.org/ja-jn/jewish_wars/bk07.html.

• Dio Cassius (164-235CE) a Roman senator who wrote a Roman history considered the best ancient book on the subject. Translation at http://www.livius.org/ja-jn/jewish_wars/bk05.html

• Eusebius (263-339) bishop of Caesarea writes history of early church

• Talmud. See http://www.livius.org/ja-jn/jewish_wars/bk01.html#grass

See Schiffman, Texts, pp. 487-494, and http://cojs.org/cojswiki/The_Bar_Kokhba_Revolt_%28132-135_CE%29.

Background

Diaspora Revolt 115-117CE

While Trajan was busy with a war in the East against the Parthians, Jews of Egypt, Cyrenaica (Libya) and Cyprus rose up and destroyed many pagan temples and killed their worshippers. The non-Jews retaliated and it blew up into all out civil war until the Roman army brutally stopped it.

Causes: Building frustration because of anti-semitism, and messianism.

This inscription, in one of the bathhouses of Cyrene,

commemorates how the city was rebuilt after the tumulto Iudaico, the

disorders caused by the Jews. Dio Cassius reports 220,000 gentiles were killed. He also reports cannibalism and mutilation.

Tens of thousands of Jews were killed by the Romans to restore order.

Hadrian

•Roman Emperor•Ruled 117-138CE•Renamed Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina•He outlawed circumcision

The Leader and His Name•Name is Shimon ben Koseva – שמעון בן כוסבא•Given the title Nasi and a nickname בר כוכבא during the revolt based on:

במדבר פרק כד:יז ��ר�ְך� �ֹל�א ק�רֹו�ב ד � ֹו �ֹו �ר�ּנ �ֹל�א ַע�ָּת��ה א�ׁש�ֹו � ֹו �ֹו ּנ �ֹו�ָכ�בא�ר�א� �ק�ם ָכ ��ַע�ק�ב ֹו י � מ

��ּנ י ׁש� ָּת.ֵׁשב�ט ��ֹל ב �ק�ר�ק�ר כ �א�ָּת י מֹו�א�ב ֹו �מ�ַח�ץ פ� �ׁש#�ר�א ֹל ֹו� י � מ(- ַחזיָּתיה ֹוֹלא כען סכיָּתיה ֹוֹליָּתֹוהי קריב 110CEאֹוּנקֹלֹוס )

מיׁשראֹל ֹויקטיֹל מֵׁשיחאמיעקב ֹויָּתרבא מלָכא כד יקֹום רברבי מֹואב ֹויׁשֹלֹוט בכֹל בּני אּנׁשא.

•Later called בר כוזיבא “Son of the Liar.”

Rabbinic Controversy

Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught, “Akiva, my master, expounded, ‘A star will go forth from Jacob’ (Num. 28:17), (as) ‘Koziba has come forth from Jacob.’”

When Rabbi Akiva would see Bar Koziba, he would say, “This is the King Messiah!”

Rabbi Yohanan ben Torta said to him, “Akiva, grass will grow on your cheeks and still the Son of David will not have come.”

- Yerushalmi Ta`anit 4:5, 68d

Timeline

130CE Hadrian visits Judea, orders rebuilding of Jerusalem with new Temple to Jupiter

Appointed Tinneius Rufus as governor.

Rufus ruled roughly. (say 3x fast)

April 132 - Bar Kokhba in charge, initial success for a couple of years

January 134 - Hadrian sends one of his best generals Julius Severus as well as one third of his entire army to put down the rebellion.

Rebellion ended in summer of 135.

Bar Kokhba Tunnel hideouts

Bar Kokhba Coin

Front: the Aron in the middle and star above. “שמעון”Back: Lulav. “לחרות ירושלם“ in Ketav Ivri (Ancient Hebrew script)

Bar Kokhba Coin

Front: Trumpets. "לחרות ירושלים"Back: Lyre. "ש]נה[ ב לחר]ות[ ישראל"

Letters from Simon bar Kochba[1]

Shimeon bar Kosiba to Yehonathan and to Masabala. Let all men from Tekoa and other places who are with you, be sent to me without delay. And if you shall not send them, let it be known to you, that you will be punished.

[2] Letter of Shimeon bar Kosiba to Yehonathan, son of Be'ayan: Peace! My order is that whatever Elisha tells you, do to him and help him and those with him. Be well.

[3] Shimeon to Yehudah bar Menashe in Qiryath 'Arabaya. I have sent to you two donkeys, and you must send with them two men to Yehonathan, son of Be'ayan and to Masabala, in order that they shall pack and send to the camp, towards you, palm branches and citrons. And you, from your place, send others who will bring you myrtles and willows. See that they are tithed and send them to the camp. The request is made because the army is big. Be well.

[4] From Shimeon bar Kosiba to the men of En-gedi. To Masabala and to Yehonathan bar Bey'ayan, peace! In comfort you sit, eat and drink from the property of the House of Israel, and care nothing for your brothers.

Results - Cassius Dio, Roman History 69.12.1-14.3

Very few of them in fact survived. Fifty of their most important outposts and nine hundred and eighty-five of their most famous villages were razed to the ground. Five hundred and eighty thousand men were slain in the various raids and battles, and the number of those that perished by famine, disease and fire was past finding out.

Thus nearly the whole of Judea was made desolate…Many Romans, moreover, perished in this war. 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 legions are in health.”

Aftermath

Jews were prohibited from living in Judea. Center of activity moved to Galilee.

Hadrian bans Torah study, tortures Rabbis.

Antoninus Pius (emperor 138-161) allowed only the Jews to circumcise their own sons.

He also allows Jewish bodies to be buried. Bavli Berakhot 48b says Birkhat הטוב.is to commemorate this והמטיב

Rebuilding at UshaShir haShirim Rabbah 2:5

At the end of the ]Hadrianic[ persecution, our teachers gathered at Usha, and they are: R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, R. Meir, R. Yose, R. Shimon bar Yohai, R. Eliezer ben R. Yoe haGalili, and R. Eliezer ben Yaakov.

They send to the Elders of the Galilee saying, “Whoever has learned, let him come and teach; whoever has not learned, let him come and learn.” They gathered and learned, and they took care of all of their needs.