A groundbreaking new historical study suggests that Jewish veterans of the Roman military, not the messianic figure Shimon Bar Kochba, may have initially led the famous 2nd-century Jewish rebellion against Rome that sought to reclaim the Jerusalem Temple site.

According to research published in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly by Dr. Haggai Olshanetsky of the University of Warsaw, the early successes of what is commonly known as the “Bar Kochba Revolt” point to leadership by trained military professionals rather than religious zealots.

Dr. Haggai Olshanetsky

“One of my main areas of research focuses on Jews serving in ancient armies, including the Roman army,” Olshanetsky told The Times of Israel. “As I was going through sources about the Roman army, I came upon a passage about how Jews would manufacture weapons for the army and sometimes were able to keep some for themselves, which spurred many questions.”

Temple Desecration Sparks Rebellion

The Jewish revolt, which took place between 132 and 135 CE, erupted after Emperor Hadrian decided to construct a city dedicated to Jupiter on the ruins of Jerusalem. This desecration of Judaism’s holiest site—where the Temple had stood until its destruction in 70 CE—proved intolerable to the Jewish population.

For generations, the revolt has been attributed primarily to Shimon Bar Kochba, whose name means “Son of the Star,” referencing the biblical prophecy in Numbers 24:17: “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” This messianic association was reinforced by the great sage Rabbi Akiva, who according to the Jerusalem Talmud declared upon seeing Bar Kochba, “this is King Messiah.”

However, Olshanetsky’s research presents compelling evidence that Jewish veterans may have initially led the revolt from the Roman army, which had both the military expertise and access to weapons needed to challenge the world’s most significant military power.

Roman Sources Silent on Leadership

Olshanetsky bases his theory partly on writings from Roman historian Cassius Dio (c. 150-235 CE), who chronicled the revolt about 15 years after it ended. Notably, Dio never mentions Bar Kochba by name—a puzzling omission given that Roman historians typically characterized rebellions through their leaders.

Dio does, however, describe how Jewish soldiers in Roman service secretly prepared for rebellion: “They purposely made of poor quality such weapons as they were called upon to furnish, in order that the Romans might reject them and they themselves might thus have the use of them.”

“I feel that, in general, his record is so unique because he tried to say things that he was not allowed to say,” explains Olshanetsky. “The Roman Empire censored what happened in Judaea.”

Military Success Points to Veteran Leadership

The early phase of the revolt inflicted devastating casualties on Roman forces—something that would have been nearly impossible without sophisticated military knowledge.

“During the first part of the revolt, the Romans had massive casualties,” Olshanetsky said. “If the revolt had not been successful, it could not have inflicted so much damage to the world’s most equipped, well-trained, and experienced fighting machine.”

Based on troop movement records, Olshanetsky concludes that “up to two Roman legions were destroyed by the rebels, or between 5,000 and 12,000 troops”—extraordinary losses that suggest the rebels possessed advanced military expertise.

“For the Jewish leaders of the revolt, having previous experience in the army would have helped. This happened during the Hasmonean revolts when Jews who served in the Seleucid army eventually fought against it,” he said.

Bar Kochba’s Later Leadership

According to Olshanetsky’s theory, Bar Kochba was likely not among the initial leadership but rose to prominence later in the conflict. His extremist tendencies and messianic claims may have alienated many initial supporters.

The Jerusalem Talmud describes Bar Kochba requiring his followers to cut off a finger to prove their loyalty—a practice that violated Jewish law prohibiting bodily mutilation. “The Sages asked, ‘How long will you turn Israel into defective persons?’ He told them, ‘How would it be possible to test them?” the text reads.

Numismatic evidence further supports the theory of changing leadership. Some coins struck in 132 CE bear the name of “Elazar the Priest” rather than Bar Kochba, suggesting multiple leaders in the revolt’s early stages.

“It is possible that Elazar colluded with Bar Koseba to depose all the other leaders of the revolt, so that he and Bar Koseba could share the leadership between themselves,” writes Olshanetsky in his paper. “However, Bar Koseba later limited Elazar’s authority and eventually murdered him when he did not agree with Bar Koseba’s actions and policies.”

Geographic Mysteries Explained

The theory also helps resolve archeological contradictions regarding the revolt’s geographic extent.

“Bar Kochba coins, one of the major sources of knowledge about the times, were only found in a very limited area in Judaea,” Olshanetsky noted. “At the same time, tunnels built for the revolt have been uncovered in many other places, and we have documents left by refugees in the Judean Desert suggesting that the rebellion covered a wider part of the land.”

In the Galilee, for example, archaeologists discovered underground infrastructure from the period. Still, no Bar Kochba coins or signs of destruction, suggesting that these regions initially participated in the revolt but withdrew when Bar Kochba assumed leadership.

“Some documents found in the Judean Desert list several Jewish settlements which initially participated in the revolt and then withdrew,” Olshanetsky said. “I believe that something happened that caused them to switch sides to the point that the Romans did not even punish them. I believe these settlements did not accept Bar Koseba’s leadership.”

Jewish Military Service

Contrary to popular belief, Olshanetsky notes that Jewish service in the Roman military was quite common before and after the revolt.

“We have evidence that serving in the army was common before the Second Jewish Revolt and even more so in the 3rd and 4th centuries CE,” he said. “Even the Talmud hints at that.”

The Talmud mentions that 3rd-century Rabbi Eleazar, son of the revered sage Shimon Bar Yochai (associated with Lag B’Omer), also served in Roman forces for a period.

“The army was also a path to receive Roman citizenship, which most Jews in the land of Israel did not have, and therefore improved a family’s social status,” Olshanetsky explained.

Legacy of Failure

While initially successful, the revolt ultimately ended in disaster. In 135 CE, Bar Kochba was killed by the Romans during the siege of Betar, a town that was razed to the ground. The failed rebellion resulted in massive Jewish casualties and further restrictions on Jewish life and worship in their ancestral homeland.

Hadrian completed his plans to build a pagan city, Aelia Capitolina, on Jerusalem’s ruins, including a Jupiter temple on the sacred Temple Mount. Jews were forbidden from entering Jerusalem except on the ninth of Av to mourn the Temple’s destruction.

The memory of this failed attempt to reclaim the Temple Mount and restore Jewish sovereignty resonates in Jewish tradition today, particularly during Lag B’Omer celebrations, which commemorate several historical events, including the Bar Kochba Revolt.

Olshanetsky’s research adds important nuance to this history, suggesting that what began as a professionally led military resistance evolved into a messianic movement under Bar Kochba—a transformation that may have ultimately contributed to its downfall.