BAR'-COCH'BA, SIMON. The leader of the Jews in their great insurrection against the Romans, under the Emperor Hadrian, from A.D. 132 to 135. Hadrian's attempt to Romanize Judea through the transformation of Jerusalem into a pagan city, and the gradual obliteration of Jewish customs, had awakened the fanatic zeal of the people all over the Empire. Between A.D. 115 and 118, the Jews rose in revolt in Cyrene, Egypt, Cyprus. and Mesopotamia, while in Palestine only the influence of the aged Joshua. the Taanite, retarded the outbreak. Under the inspiration of Akiba. the successor of Joshua, secret preparations were begun for a rising of the entire nation. At the head of the movement stood Simon Bar Cosiha (that is, of the town of Kosiba) who assumed the name of Bar-cochba, or, 'son of the star,' pretending that the prophecy was to be fulfilled in him, "There shall come a star out of Jacob" (Num. xxiv. 17). From all over the Orient, Jews thronged to join his armies, which, at the height of his power, numbered no less than 400,000 men. He fought at first with great success against the Romans, and even obliged them to evacuate Jerusalem, where lie was proclaimed King, and coins were struck to commemorate the resurrection of the Jewish State (A.D. 132). The war spread over I
all the country of Palestine, and 50 towns, be sides many villages and hamlets, came into the possession of the Jews. But on the arrival of Iladrian's general, Julius Severus, Jerusalem was retaken; and in August, 135. Bethar, the last strong fortress held by the Jews, was stormed by the Romans after a siege of nearly a year. According to Dio Cassius half a million of Jews perished in the assault and the massacre that followed, and among them fell Bar-coehha. After the war, many men were executed, thou sands of women and children were sold into slavery, and cruel edicts were issued against the survivors. From this last struggle dates the ' final dispersion of the Jews over the face of the earth. The holy city was razed to the ground and rebuilt under another name. For a detailed account of the struggle, consult: lliinter. Der judische Krieg enter den Kaiser)? Trojan and Hadrian (Altana, 1821) ; Schwarz, Der Bar- , liochbaische Aufstand (Briinn, 1885).