Bar Kokhba

Bar Kokhba reconstructs the life of Shim‘on ben Koseba, the leader who assumed the messianic name Bar Kokhba and led Judaea in revolt against Hadrian from AD 132 to 136. Powell examines the political and religious grievances behind the uprising, the creation of an independent administration and the ability of the rebels to resist one of the ancient world’s strongest military systems for more than three years.

The biography draws on literary evidence, inscriptions, coins, caves, fortifications and material recovered in the Judaean Desert. It also assesses Hadrian’s response, the deployment of Roman commanders and legions, and the catastrophic consequences for Jewish communities after the revolt was defeated. Bar Kokhba’s later transformation into both heroic national symbol and controversial messianic figure is treated as part of the continuing history of the conflict.