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Sources

Rabbinic literature, including the Mishnah, the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds, and various midrashim (biblical commentaries), provides the primary Jewish references to the revolt. Although these texts were not composed as historical chronicles and primarily focus on Jewish law (halakhah), they contain narrative sections (aggadah) that preserve anecdotes, teachings, legal rulings, and reflections related to the period. While shaped by theological and didactic objectives, some of these traditions are considered to preserve genuine historical memory, particularly when supported by archaeological or external sources. Many of the stories associated with the revolt, such as those about Betar's fall, indeed appear in aggadaic material, particularly in the Babylonian Talmud (e.g., Gittin 55b–58a), Jerusalem Talmud (Taanith iv 8, 68d–69b), and midrashim like Lamentations Rabbah. These passages provide insight into how the Jewish people experienced and interpreted the events of the time. They include a variety of material—stories, rulings, and anecdotes—that shed light on the revolt and its aftermath. One of the most distinctive contributions of rabbinic literature is its portrayal of Bar Kokhba: it is the only source to explicitly describe him as a messianic figure and preserves two conflicting accounts of his death. They also recount Roman executions of sages and religious persecution in the aftermath of the revolt, expressing both sympathetic and critical perspectives on its leaders and consequences.