Statement
Little is known about the leadership either. Rabbinic literature says that Rabbi Akiba saw in Simon bar Kosiba, whom his followers called Bar Kochba, the messiah foretold in Scripture; the nickname, 'Son of a Star', alludes to Numbers 24:17. Perhaps, then, the aim was to open the messianic age. In the rebels' own documents, however, Bar Kochba is a devout commander who never claims a messianic or supernatural role.
References
p. 101
reports the tradition · main text · ch. 4
Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.
Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text
p. 101
reports disagreement · main text · ch. 4
Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.
Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text
Scholarly debate
What did Bar Kochba and his rebels want?
3 positions · no single answer · take a seat →
- A
To inaugurate the messianic age
Rabbinic literature (tradition about Rabbi Akiba)
Akiba is said to have recognized Bar Kochba as a divinely sent redeemer; the nickname 'Son of a Star' refers to the prophecy of Numbers 24:17.
- B
Independence under a pious leader
Evidence left by the rebels themselves
In the rebels' own documents, Bar Kochba comes across as a devout commander in the field, with no claim to messianic or supernatural status.
- C
To restore the Temple
A hypothesis suggested by the coins
The Temple façade, the lulav and etrog and the name of the priest Eleazar on the coins suggest that the goal may have been to restore the Temple, though this is only an educated guess.