Book review - Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome

Today it is my stop on the book tour for the Pen & Sword title ‘Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome’ by Lindsay Powell. Thank you very much to Pen & Sword for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

“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.

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.”

My thoughts:

When I started reading, I knew Hadrian’s name and some information about him, yet I had no prior knowledge of Bar Kokhba. It is always very exciting when I read about history that is completely new to me! The book could potentially have been very heavy going, but Lindsay Powell has done a fantastic job at making Bar Kokhba a very accessible, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable read. I couldn’t put it down!  

The book describes the epic struggle between two fascinating, strong-willed leaders and who should rule a nation. One of course is the charismatic Hadrian, ruler of the vast Roman Empire who seeked to maintain control. The other was the military Jewish ruler, Shim’on Ben Kosiba or Bar kokhba, ‘Son of a Star’ who some believed to be a messiah. He seeked to found an independent nation for his people, instead of being ruled by a foreign leader. The war lasted three and a half years. We don’t have as much biographical information about Bar Kokhba, as we do Hadrian. There are no surviving busts or paintings, and he has been turned into a legend. It was fascinating to learn more about him, as Lindsay continued his quest across three continents for more information about the real Bar Kokhba, Hadrian, and two different cultures at war. This is the sort of book you can read again, and again and find something new each time. It is packed full of information!

The amount of research that the author undertook to write this book, blew me away. I very much enjoyed how Lindsay Powell weaved his own research travels into the book. I sometimes struggle when reading Roman history, because understanding all the names makes it hard for me to keep up, but a helpful section on Roman and Jewish names was provided. I also very much appreciated the Chronology at the start, as I mentioned before, I had no knowledge of the events of the book and the Chronology details everything right into the modern era. I found the glossary at the back extremely helpful too. There are also places to visit and place names sections. As well as the impeccable research and writing, the quality glossy pages, illustrations, maps, and plates make this book a real treat to look at and read.

I highly recommend Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome. If you would like your own copy of this amazing book, then please follow the link Here

Please do visit the other stops on the tour to see more opinions of Bar Kokhba: