Jerome on Bar Kochba
Simon ben Kosiba, surnamed Simon bar Kochba ("son of the star") was a Jewish Messiah. Between 132 and 135, he was the leader of the last resistance against the Romans. After the end of the desastrous rebellion, the rabbis called him "Bar Koziba", which means "son of the lie".
One of the "fathers" of the Christian church, Jerome (347-419), has made three stray remarks about the revolt of Bar Kochba. They serve to add extra detail to the stories by Eusebius and Cassius Dio. The translations are taken from Yigael Yadin, Bar-Kokhba. The rediscovery of the legendary hero of the last Jewish revolt against imperial Rome (1971 London).
Jerome, Commentary on the [livius:5375|title:Bible|type:article] |
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[Is.2.12-17] The Lord has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted. They will be humbled. [...] For every lofty tower and every fortified wall, for every trading ship [...] will be be brought low: And those who ascribe this to the time of Vespasian and Hadrian say that the writing here was completely fulfilled, for no high tower, no most fortified wall, no mightiest navy and not the most diligent commerce, could overcome the might of the Roman army; and the citizens of Judaea came to such distress that they, together with their wives, their children, their gold and their silver, in which they trusted, remained in underground tunnels and deepest caves. |
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