Bar Kokhba revolt

Bar Kokhba revolt מֶרֶד בַּר כּוֹכְבָא‎
Part of the Jewish–Roman wars
Detail of Simon bar Kokhba from Benno Elkan's Knesset Menorah
Date 132–136 AD (main phase: autumn 132 – summer 135) Location Judaea, Roman Empire Result Roman victory Massacre and displacement of the Jewish population in Judea Renaming of Judaea to Syria Palaestina Jews banned from Jerusalem and its surrounding areas Suppression of Jewish religious practices by Hadrian Significant increase in the Jewish diaspora Territorial changes Destruction of the rebels' Jewish state by the Roman army
Belligerents
Roman Empire	Jews of Judaea
Commanders and leaders
Hadrian Quintus Tineius Rufus Sextus Julius Severus Gaius Poblicius Marcellus Titus Haterius Nepos Quintus Lollius Urbicus	Simon bar Kokhba † Eleazar of Modi'im † Akiva ben Joseph  Yeshua ben Galgula † Yonatan ben Bai'in Masbelah ben Shimon Eleazar ben Khita Yehuda bar Menashe Shimon ben Matanya
Units involved
Legio III Cyrenaica Legio X Fretensis Legio VI Ferrata Legio III Gallica Legio XXII Deiotariana Legio II Traiana Legio X Gemina Legio IX Hispana (?) Legio V Macedonica (parts) Legio XI Claudia (parts) Legio XII Fulminata (parts) Legio IV Flavia Felix (parts)	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 auxiliary 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[1] Legio IX Hispana possibly disbanded[2][a] Legio X Fretensis sustained heavy casualties[3]	580,000–600,000 killed[4][5]

The Bar Kokhba revolt^[b] (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 CE, 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. Finally, the province was renamed Syria Palaestina, a measure aimed at obliterating Jewish ties to the land.

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