BAR KOKHBA is the search for the truth of the epic struggle between two strong-willed leaders over who would rule a nation. One was Hadrian, the cosmopolitan ruler of the vast Roman Empire, then at its zenith, who some regarded as divine; the other was Shim'on, a Jewish military leader in a district of a minor province, who some believed to be the 'King Messiah'. It is also the tale of the clash of two ancient cultures. One was the conqueror, seeking to maintain control of its hard-won dominion; the other was the conquered, seeking to break free and establish a new nation: Israel. During the ensuing conflict - the 'Second Jewish War' - the highly motivated Jewish militia sorely tested the highly trained professional Roman army. The rebels withstood the Roman onslaught for three-and-a-half years (AD 132 - 136). They established an independent nation with its own administration, headed by Shim'on as its president. The outcome of that David and Goliath contest was of great consequence, both for the people of Judaea and for Judaism itself. So, who was this insurgent Shim'on known today as 'Bar Kokhba'? How did Hadrian, the Roman emperor who built the famous Wall in northern Britain, respond to the challenger? And how, in later ages, did this rebel with a cause become a hero for the Jews in the Diaspora longing for the foundation of a new Israel in modern times? This book describes the author's personal journey across three continents to establish the facts. BAR KOKHBA is lucidly written by the author of the mould-breaking Augustus at War and the acclaimed biographies Germanicus and Marcus Agrippa. Drawing on archaeology, art, coins, inscriptions, militaria, as well as secular and religious documents, Lindsay Powell presents a fascinating account of the people and events at a crucial time in world history.

lgli/Powell, Lindsay - Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome (2021, Pen and Sword Military).pdf

Lindsay Powell; Eric H. Cline

Pen & Sword Books Limited

Pen et Sword Military

Pen & Sword Aviation

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Barnsley, 2021

FR, 2021

producers:
Adobe PDF Library 15.0

In AD 132 began the bloody struggle between two strong-willed leaders over who would rule a nation.
One was Hadrian, the cosmopolitan ruler of the vast Roman Empire, then at its zenith, who some regarded as divine; the other was Shim'on, a Jewish military leader in a district of a minor province, who some believed to be the 'King Messiah'. It is also the tale of the clash of two ancient cultures. One was the conqueror, seeking to maintain control of its hard-won dominion; the other was the conquered, seeking to break free and establish a new nation: Israel.
During the ensuing conflict - the 'Second Jewish War' - the highly motivated Jewish militia sorely tested the highly trained professional Roman army. The rebels withstood the Roman onslaught for three-and-a-half years (AD 132 - 136). They established an independent nation with its own administration, headed by Shim'on as its president. The outcome of that David and Goliath contest was of great consequence, both for the people of Judaea and for Judaism itself.
So, who was this insurgent Shim'on known today as 'Bar Kokhba'? How did Hadrian, the Roman emperor who built the famous Wall in northern Britain, respond to the challenger? And how, in later ages, did this rebel with a cause become a hero for the Jews in the Diaspora longing for the foundation of a new Israel in modern times? This book describes the author's personal journey across three continents to establish the facts.
BAR KOKHBA is lucidly written by the author of the mould-breaking Augustus at War and the acclaimed biographies Germanicus and Marcus Agrippa. Drawing on archaeology, art, coins, inscriptions, militaria, as well as secular and religious documents, Lindsay Powell presents a fascinating account of the people and events at a crucial time in world history.
With a foreword specially written by bestselling archaeologist Eric H. Cline, Lindsay Powell tells the compelling story of the rebel whose legend helped found a nation: Israel.

This biography of the ancient Jewish military leader examines how he mounted a years-long revolt against Rome that changed the course of history. In AD 132, a bloody struggle began between two determined leaders over who would rule Judea. One was the powerful Roman Emperor Hadrian, who some regarded as divine. The other was Shim'on—known today as Bar Kokhba—a Jewish military commander in a district of a minor province, who some believed to be the ‘King Messiah'. In Bar Kokhba, ancient historian Lindsay Powell examines the clash between these two men, and the two ancient cultures they represented. In the ensuing conflict, the Jewish militia resisted the onslaught of the professional Roman army for three-and-a-half years. They established an independent nation with its own administration, headed by Shim'on as its president. The outcome of that David and Goliath contest was of great consequence, both for the people of Judaea and for Judaism itself. Drawing on archaeology, art, coins, inscriptions, militaria, as well as secular and religious documents, Lindsay Powell sheds light on Bar Kokhba's singular life and legacy. She also describes her personal journey across three continents to establish the facts.

HISTORY / Military / Ancient
Cover 1
Book Title 4
Copyright 5
Contents 8
Foreword 9
Preface 12
Acknowledgements 19
List of Illustrations 22
List of Plates 26
List of Maps 29
Chronology 30
Roman and Jewish Names 38
Prologue 41
Chapter 1 ‘An Explorer of Everything Interesting’ 44
Chapter 2 ‘Iudaea Recaptured’ 66
Chapter 3 ‘At Jerusalem He Founded a City’ 87
Chapter 4 ‘Son of a Star’ 105
Chapter 5 ‘For The Redemption of Israel’ 118
Plate section 138
Chapter 6 ‘Do Not Help or Hinder Us!’ 154
Chapter 7 ‘A Fence Consisting of the Slain’ 180
Chapter 8 ‘They Were Sitting in a Cave’ 193
Chapter 9 ‘He Liberated Syria Palaestina from the Enemy’ 204
Chapter 10 ‘Son of a Lie’ 216
Chapter 11 ‘He Was a Hero’ 226
Places to Visit 256
Glossary 261
Place Names 268
Notes 270
Bibliography 307
Index 339

Shim'on (Simon) Bar Kokhba was a messianic figure who led the Jews to revolt against the Roman Empire in its prime.

2022-03-05