The Bar Kokhbah Revolt (132-136 CE) is the last of the three Jewish-Roman Wars, and has a profound impact on the development of both early Rabbinical Judaism and Christianity.
Although it fits into the pattern of increased tensions between Jews and Romans, its immediate cause was the construction by Emperor Hadrian of the new colony Aelia Capitolina on the ruins of Jerusalem - complete with a temple to Jupiter. This was obviously unacceptable to the Jews, leading to a general revolt led by Simon ben Kosivah. The revolt was supported by the religious establishment: Rabbi Akivah, a leading tanna and redactor of the Talmud, proclaimed Simon the Messiah awaited by the Jews and called him Bar Kokhbah, Aramaic for Son of the Star, a reference to the messianic prophecy in Numbers 24:17: "There shall come a star out of Jacob".
The revolt was surprisingly successful and hard-fought: Bar Kokhbah managed to take control of Judea - and thus proclaimed himself Nasi, meaning prince - and cut off Legio X Fretensis based in Aelia Capitolina. During the war Bar Kokhbah managed to fight off several Legions, and possibly ambushed and destroyed Legio XXII Deiotariana.
Nevertheless, the Revolt was eventually defeated, and the Romans unleashed a near-genocidal revenge on the Jewish population of Judea, moving the Jewish religious center north to the Galilee where Talmudic academies where established. It also set up for the decline of the Jewish-Christian community, which was said to have been targeted both by the Jews for not supporting the Revolt, and by the Romans for being Jews.
What changes could make the Revolt more successful? The Revolt seems to have inflicted severe casualties to the Romans, and Bar Kokhbah, with the support of the Jewish population that was still very numerous at the time, is said to have fielded 200 000 men. Could some more significant defeats force a favorable peace?
What would a successful revolt mean for Judaism? Rabbinical Judaism was still developing at the time, and here comes a man with a worthy claim to be the long-awaited Messiah, and a chance to reclaim Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. The implications would be profound.
What effect would that have on early Christianism? Would a Bar Kokhbah state repress them, leaving the Jewish-Christian community to decline as it did IOTL, or could we instead avoid it? If so, how would Christianity develop if there is still a significant Jewish-Christian community observing the Mosaic Laws and calling Jesus the Messiah but not God in the flesh?
Although it fits into the pattern of increased tensions between Jews and Romans, its immediate cause was the construction by Emperor Hadrian of the new colony Aelia Capitolina on the ruins of Jerusalem - complete with a temple to Jupiter. This was obviously unacceptable to the Jews, leading to a general revolt led by Simon ben Kosivah. The revolt was supported by the religious establishment: Rabbi Akivah, a leading tanna and redactor of the Talmud, proclaimed Simon the Messiah awaited by the Jews and called him Bar Kokhbah, Aramaic for Son of the Star, a reference to the messianic prophecy in Numbers 24:17: "There shall come a star out of Jacob".
The revolt was surprisingly successful and hard-fought: Bar Kokhbah managed to take control of Judea - and thus proclaimed himself Nasi, meaning prince - and cut off Legio X Fretensis based in Aelia Capitolina. During the war Bar Kokhbah managed to fight off several Legions, and possibly ambushed and destroyed Legio XXII Deiotariana.
Nevertheless, the Revolt was eventually defeated, and the Romans unleashed a near-genocidal revenge on the Jewish population of Judea, moving the Jewish religious center north to the Galilee where Talmudic academies where established. It also set up for the decline of the Jewish-Christian community, which was said to have been targeted both by the Jews for not supporting the Revolt, and by the Romans for being Jews.
What changes could make the Revolt more successful? The Revolt seems to have inflicted severe casualties to the Romans, and Bar Kokhbah, with the support of the Jewish population that was still very numerous at the time, is said to have fielded 200 000 men. Could some more significant defeats force a favorable peace?
What would a successful revolt mean for Judaism? Rabbinical Judaism was still developing at the time, and here comes a man with a worthy claim to be the long-awaited Messiah, and a chance to reclaim Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. The implications would be profound.
What effect would that have on early Christianism? Would a Bar Kokhbah state repress them, leaving the Jewish-Christian community to decline as it did IOTL, or could we instead avoid it? If so, how would Christianity develop if there is still a significant Jewish-Christian community observing the Mosaic Laws and calling Jesus the Messiah but not God in the flesh?
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