136 AD (About 1,800 years ago)
The Romans, under Hadrian, crushed a second Jewish rebellion for independence in a three-year war ending in 136 AD. The rebellion was led by Simon bar Kochba, who was declared to be the messiah by an influential sage named Rabbi Akiva.
Bar Kochba's rebellion had disastrous results. Cassius Dio, a second century Roman historian, claimed that the Romans killed 580,000 Jews during the war. The Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem, and are believed to have run a plow over all or part of the city. The surviving Jews were expelled and were banned from returning to Jerusalem.
Bar Kochba's name is sometimes rendered as Bar Kokhba, Bar Kochva and Ben Kosiba.
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