Bar Kokhba revolt
Sources

Archaeological discoveries, beginning with finds in 1952, have transformed scholarly understanding of the revolt. Chief among them are papyri discovered in the Cave of Letters in the Judaean Desert, including legal documents and correspondence between Bar Kokhba and his subordinates. Among roughly 30 surviving texts, three are in Greek, while the rest are in Hebrew and Aramaic. These documents offer direct insight into the rebels' administration, military organization, religious practices, and internal challenges, though they provide limited information about the military course of the revolt itself. Additional evidence comes from coins minted by the rebels, which help estimate the revolt's duration and reveal its goals: the restoration of Jewish independence and the rebuilding of the Temple.
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