Judaea Bar Kokhba Revolt 132-135 AD Very Rare AR Zuz Year 2 (133-134 CE) Jerusalem Ancient Jewish Silver Coin (Paleo-Hebrew) Museum Reproduction CSJS0006

Very Rare Silver Jewish Zuz Coin Judaea Bar Kokhba Revolt Year Two (133-134 CE), mint of Jerusalem. References: Hendin 1391. Mildenberg 33.52. The Bar Kokhba War (132-135 CE) broke out when Hadrian decided to refound Jerusalem – still largely ruined from the disastrous Jewish Revolt (66-73 CE) – as the pagan city of Aelia Capitolina. Although Jewish discontent had already erupted into violence in the Diaspora during the reign of Trajan, the Jews of Judaea seem not to have risen up against the Romans until this threatened abomination against the site of the Temple and the surrounding Holy City. The leader of this new rebellion, which took the form of a bloody guerilla war, was Simon bar Kokhba who had messianic pretensions and gained a reputation as a great warrior. Unfortunately, although Bar Kokhba managed to make Hadrian pay dearly for Aelia Capitolina, when the emperor assembled an army of six full legions to invade Judaea in 134 CE the rebellion was soon crushed. In punishment almost the entirety of Judaea was laid waste by the victorious Romans and the Jewish population destroyed or driven out.