Bar Kokhba - The Revolt that Shook an Empire

Who was Bar Kokhba? The leader of the most turbulent Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire remained in obscurity for thousands of years, but recent archaeological discoveries—ancient coins, attack tunnels used by Jewish fighters, and even battle orders in Bar Kokhba's own handwriting—reveal the true identity of the Jewish folk hero and tell the story of the revolt as never before. The spark that ignited the uproar was the decision by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to obliterate what remained of Jerusalem after its destruction in 70 CE and build a pagan Roman city—Aelia Capitolina—on its ruins. The Jews' furious response to the assault on their holy city erupted into a massive rebellion that wreaked havoc on the Roman army and shook the empire to its core. Especially effective were the guerilla tactics in which the Jewish warriors staged surprise attacks on the Roman soldiers and then retreated out of harm's way to a massive network of underground tunnels prepared especially for this purpose. After more than three years of fierce fighting, Hadrian finally managed to put down the uprising. The punishments that he imposed in revenge were unprecedented in their cruelty. Over half a million Jews were massacred, the practice of the Jewish religion was banned, and Jerusalem was emptied of its Jewish inhabitants and almost forgotten. Almost ...