132 - 136 CE (AD): THE BAR KOCHBA REVOLT IN JUDEA

A lesser known, but really quite important, figure and event in Jewish history, is Simon (aka Judas) Bar Kochba, and the revolt that he led against the Roman occupation of Judea, between 132 and 136 CE (Christian Era / AD).

This Jewish revolutionary leader is most commonly referred to by the name Judas Bar Kochba.

Between the dates mentioned, he led a Jewish military rebellion against Roman rule, and successfully, though briefly, recaptured the city of Jerusalem.

The Romans quickly retook Jerusalem and crushed the Bar Kochba rebellion. The result of this for Judaism was devastating. Even after the Jewish rebellion of 70 CE / AD: when Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans after they had recaptured it - and destroyed the Jewish Temple, thereby ending the Sadducee priestly sect of Judaism and leaving the Pharisee tradition to survive and develop into Rabbinic Judaism - the Jews were permitted to return to Jerusalem, and to continue to live and practice Rabbinical Judaism in Judea. But after the crushing of the Bar Kochba rebellion, Jerusalem was more or less dismantled; and Jewish people were both massacred by the Romans, and those that survived were forced to leave Judea and go into exile.

Judas Bar Kochba had a very prominent supporter in Rabbi Akiva, who declared Judas Bar Kochba to be 'The Son Of The Star': essentially, the Jewish Messiah.

Equally eminent opponents however, using a play on the name Bar Kochba, termed him 'The Son Of The Lie'.

IMPORTANCE OF JUDAS BAR KOCHBA IN TEACHING

I find the Judas Bar Kochba story very useful in teaching a better understanding of both Judaism and Christianity.

Many people misinterpret the historical character of Jesus of Nazareth, by juxtaposing His impotence to world history in the present day with his situation during his lifetime: and presume Jesus to have been a unique, and very well known, famous figure in his time. 

That was not the case: Jesus of Nazareth was only one of many figures (an unknown number) in the history of the Jewish people to have messianic claims applied to them: either by themselves or by their followers.

The great majority of these messianic claimants lived and died in anonymity: they were nobodies, with small followings.

Jesus too was a relative nobody during His lifetime: just one of a number of itinerant preachers: some of whom brought with them messianic claims.

Judas Bar Kochba was a Jewish historical figure who had messianic claims made for him, but was far from being anonymous or a nobody: he has importance in Jewish history. The ultimate failure of Bar Kochba's revolt, however, ended his 'messianic aura' - and caused lasting upheaval to the future of Judaism.

This leads me to Interesting teaching questions - and answers - to those who are sceptical about the historical story of Jesus of Nazareth.

The questions - for discussion - concern how a relatively anonymous, unimportant carpenter turned itinerant preacher, from a rural corner of an outpost of the Roman Empire, went on to become the single most important and influential human being who has ever lived*...? 🤔

(*Think what you may about Jesus of Nazareth, this statement is nevertheless accurate.)

The answers, are concerned with questions about an apparent lack of historical evidence for the existence of Jesus of Nazareth: those answers being:

Pointing out that, in fact, during His lifetime, Jesus was by no means the well known and important character that he is now: he was a relative nobody; just one of a number of itinerant preachers and figures who had messianic claims applied to them.

And pointing out that during the 70 CE revolt and Roman retribution; and during the Bar Kochba revolt and Roman retribution, Jerusalem had been purged firstly if all things Roman (including documentation) - and then purged of all things Jewish. It's remarkable that any reference to the relatively small disturbance caused by a relatively unimportant preacher remained at all.

I learned about Judas Bar Kochba while studying Judaism for my BA degree in Religious Studies.

HAPPY HANUKKAH 

...And a brief description of what this Jewish Festival of Light is all about... 

The Hanukkah story is part of Jewish history from the era of Greek occupation of Israel - and Greek rule over the Jewish inhabitants, from around 331 BCE: Before Christian Era), when Alexander The Great conquered the region, to 160 (BCE), when the revolt led by the Maccabees (167 - 160 BCE) successfully reclaimed Israel, Jerusalem and The Jewish Temple for the Jews.

Once the land and the temple had been reclaimed, the temple had to be immediately purged of its defiling by the Greek rulers, purified, and rededicated to God.

In this post-revolution state of destruction and carnage,there was a scarcity of many things in Jerusalem, including the lamp oil that was needed for the lamps that would light the temple while the purification and rededication was being carried out.

A vial of oil was found but it clearly didn't contain nearly enough to light the temple for long enough to complete the tasks... 

The workers made do - and would work extra hard and hope to complete as much of the work as possible while the lamplight lasted... 

To the amazement of all, this small amount of oil kept the lamps burning for as long as it took to complete the tasks if purification and rededicating the temple to God: nine days in all. 

A miracle was proclaimed... 

... And the events have been celebrated ever since, as Hanukkah...   

The story of Hanukkah is recorded in the Torah, in TheBook of Maccabees. Part of the story of the Maccabean revolt, describes how the Greeks would attack the Jewish Maccabee army during Shabbat (Sabbath): knowing that the Jews were forbidden to do any work at all on that day: including fighting in self defence... 

The Maccabees appealed to the Jewish priesthood about this; and the priests took council and prayed to God for guidance... After which they declared that God would allow necessary work - certainly fighting in self defence - to be carried out on Shabbat... 

It was a change in rigid policy in Judaism... 

The Book of Maccabees is excluded from the King James Version of the Christian Bible: the version favoured by some Protestant Christian Churches... 

(I found this imagine online. It's from a site called 'parenting.firstcry.com'. My acknowledgement and thanks to that site, and to the creator of the image (possibly one and the same; otherwise: identity unknown to me. )