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Resentment toward Roman rule in Judaea and nationalistic aspirations remained high following the destruction of Jerusalem during the First Jewish Revolt in 70 CE. The immediate triggers of the Bar Kokhba revolt included Emperor Hadrian 's decision to build Aelia Capitolina —a Roman colony dedicated to Jupiter —on the ruins of Jerusalem, extinguishing hopes for the Temple's reconstruction, as well as a possible ban on circumcision, a central Jewish practice. Unlike the earlier revolt, the rebels were well-prepared, using guerrilla tactics and underground hideouts embedded in their villages. Initially, the rebels achieved considerable success, driving Roman forces out of much of the province. Simon bar Kokhba was declared " nasi " (prince) of Israel, and the rebels established a full administration, issuing their own weights and coinage. Contemporary documents celebrated a new era of "the redemption of Israel," and coinage carried similar slogans, dated according to the years of independence.