Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 2.pdf/556

506 THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Bar Kokba

compare Azariah dei Rossi, in "Me'or 'Enayim," xix.), and both the Armenian chronicle of Eusebius (" Chronicorum Canonum," ed. Mai and the end;

Zohrab, p. 383, Milan, 1818) and that of Jerome

Bronze Coin

of the

Second Revolt,

First Tear.

Obverse : ujtoip " (Simon ") (for pynif) Simon, within a wreath. Reverse : D^tm t> ni] in? (" The Deliverance of Jerusalem ") surrounding a three-stringed lyre. (British Museum Collection.) (After

Madden, " Jewish Coinage.")

mention a Jewish war as occurring during the

first

year of the reign of Hadrian. Later events can he interpreted only by bearing this war in mind. For if Hadrian, immediately after his accession to the throne, pursued a pacific policy toward the Jews, and made concessions to them, he must previously have felt their resistance (Gratz, " Gesch. der Juden," 3d ed., iv. 410). Spartian, the biographer of Hadrian ("Hadrian," v. 2), also states that the emperor wished to have peace throughout the Roman world, and refers to the restlessness among the people of Libya and Palestine a reference undoubtedly pointing to the Jews. It appears that Hadrian had already granted permission for the rebuilding of the Temple that the Jews of the diaspora had already begun to return to Jerusalem, and that the brothers Pappus and Julian had already provided for the ex-

506

Hadrian had not yet dared openly Temple, but requested that the site of the new structure be somewhat removed from its former location a condition which the Jews of course could not accept. They took up arms and assembled in the Valley of Rimmon, on the celebrated historical plain of Jezreel; and a rebellion seemed imminent, when R. Joshua b. Hananiah, by convincing the people of the danger which they were incurring, ultimately succeeded in et

Mens."

xiv.).

to prevent the rebuilding of the

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pacifying them (Gen. R. lxiv.). But the Jews remained quiet only on the surface; in reality, for over fifteen years they prepared for a struggle against Rome. The weapons that the Romans had ordered to be made by them they intentionally constructed poorly, so that they might keep them when rejected and returned to them. They converted the caves in the mountains into hiding-places and fortifications, which they connected by subterranean passages (Dio Cassius, lxix. 12). It is thought that the travels of the celebrated teacher of the Law, Rabbi Akiba, were made with the intention of interesting the Jews of the most remote countries in the coming struggle and these travels extended through Parthia, Asia

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change of foreign money into Roman coin, when, through the calumny of the Samaritans, Hadrian ordered the cessation of work upon the Rebuilding Temple (Gen. R. lxiv.). Of the inof the tended rebuilding of the Temple under Temple. Hadrian, mention is made by Chrysostom (" Orat. iii. in Judseos "), " Chron. Alex." (on the year 118), Nicephorus ("Hist. Eccl." iii.

24),

and Cedrenus

("Script.

Byz."

xii. 249).

A

coin of the period, representing a portico with four

Copper Coin of the Second Revolt. Obverse: 15D[IP] ("Simon") (for jipcif) Simon, round a palmtree. Reverse: n (probahly for [oSlflT n]n[nS]) ("The Deliverance of Jerusalem "), with vine branch. (After Madden, "Jewish Coinage.")

Minor, Cappadocia, and Phrygia, and perhaps even Preparations devised on so to Europe and Africa. large a scale could hardly have been instituted without organization, and it may therefore be assumed that the leader, Bar Kokba, was already quietly preparing for this war in the first years of the reign of Hadrian. Bar Kokba, the hero of the third war against Rome, appears under this name only among ecclesiastical writers heathen authors do not

Bar Kokba; mention him; and Jewish sources call His Name, him Ben (or Bar) Koziba or Kozba. Many scholars believe this name to

Bronze Coin of the Second Revolt. Obverse: pynit> ("Simon"); cluster of grapes. Reverse: nnnS V^ii' ("The Deliverance of Jerusalem"): two trumpets or pillars.

(British

Museum

(After

Collection.)

Madden, "Jewish Coinage.")

columns, is referred to this movement. The leader and superintendent of the building either of the city of Jerusalem or of the Temple is said to have been the pious proselyte Aquila (Epiphanius, "DePond.

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have been derived from the city of Chezib (Gen. xxxviii. 5) or Chozeba(I Chron. iv. 22), although it is more likely that it was simply the name of his father. Others believe that Bar Koziba was a contumelious appellation (" Son of Lies ") bestowed after the unfortunate issue of the revolt. Although this also seems to be implied by the words of the patriarch, R. Judah I. (Lam. R. ii. 2), it merely proves that the luckless hero was early held responsible for the misfortune that had befallen the nation. On the other hand, it is certain that the name Bar Kokba is only an epithet derived from R. Akiba's application of the verse to Koziba " There shall come a star [" kokab "] out of Jacob who shall smite the corners of Moab