BAR KŌKHĒBHĀ. – Leader of the last revolt of the Jews under the emperor Hadrian.
His name has come down to us in different forms. The Christian sources call him Bar Kōkēbhā, or “son of the star,” alluding to his messianic quality (Num. 24:17), which was also recognized in him by the famous Rabbi ’Aqībā’ (v.). In the Jewish sources he is called Bar Kōzābhā, perhaps after his father’s name or his place of origin; later, however, following the disastrous failure, the name was explained in its etymological sense as “Son of falsehood” (Kōzābhā’). His real name, known from the coins, was Simon.
For lack of sources, we know little about the long and terrible struggle led by B. K. against the Romans, which must have been almost as violent as that of 70, described in detail by Flavius Josephus (v.). The insurrection seems to have been provoked by new restrictions concerning the Jews, already oppressed under Trajan. It appears that Hadrian prohibited the rite of circumcision, regarded as “castratio” (Spartianus, De vita Hadriani, 14); the strong discontent among the Jews was increased by the intention to implement a city plan in Jerusalem, naturally according to the Hellenistic conception.
The revolt, conducted rather by the enervating method of guerrilla warfare, broke out in 132. B. K. seized Jerusalem; he minted coins bearing the inscription: “Simon, prince of Israel” or “of the redemption of Jerusalem.” What inspired bold heroism in the insurgents was the conviction that the long-awaited Messiah had finally come to deliver the people of Yahweh from degradation. For this religious reason B. K. persecuted severely the Christians who refused to recognize him as the Messiah (Justin, Apologia I, 31; Eusebius, Chronicon, ed. R. Helm, II, Leipzig 1913, p. 201). Only in 135 was the Roman general Julius Severus able to overcome the last resistance at Bethar (today Bittir, 12 km southeast of Jerusalem), where B. K. was also killed. Hadrian announced this to the senate, omitting the usual formula that the army was in good condition; Judaea had been reduced almost to a desert (Cassius Dio, LXIX, 14). The Jews were strictly forbidden to enter the new city, Colonia Aelia Capitolina, which replaced ancient Jerusalem. Various legends, introduced into the Talmud, give hyperbolical descriptions of B. K.’s campaign and of the cruel repression.
BIBLI: E. Schürer, Geschichte des jüdischen Volkes im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, I, 4ª ed., Leipzig 1901, pp. 670-704; J. Gutmann, s. V. ENOCH. Judaica, III, Berlin 1920, cols. 1079-85; G. Ricciotti, Storia d'Israele, II, 4ª ed., Turin 1941, pp. 532-539. Angelo Penna
BARLAAM, saint, martyr. – A native of Antioch in the 4th century. In his praise there are a homily by Chrysostom (PG 50, 675-82), one attributed to St. Basil (ibid., 31, 484-89), and those by Severus of Antioch (Analecta Boll., 22, 133-34), as well as his Passion in Greek (ibid., p. 139 ff.). Particularly atrocious methods were devised to torture him. His feast in the Roman Martyrology falls on 19 November. Pietro Sfair