Simon bar Kokhba (Shimʿon ben Kosiba;

Описание: Simon bar Kokhba was a legendary Jewish leader who stood for freedom and fought against Roman rule. From 132–135 CE, he led the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Roman Empire. Many hailed him as the “Prince of Israel” and even the long-awaited Messiah, since he was a Davidic leader and restored Jewish sovereignty — at least temporarily.

Aftermath of the Revolt:
The fall of Betar and the death of Bar Kokhba marked the revolt’s collapse. The Roman response was catastrophic:
Hundreds of thousands of Jews were slaughtered.
Survivors were sold into slavery across the empire.
Emperor Hadrian renamed Judea “Palestina” to erase Jewish identity and banned Jews from entering Jerusalem.
This was a devastating blow, scattering much of the Jewish population and reshaping Jewish history.

Bar Kokhba: A Messiah?
Jews never accepted Jesus as the Messiah — then or now — because he did not fulfill the messianic prophecies in Hebrew Scripture. In Jewish tradition, the Messiah is not a god, demi-god, or superhuman. He must be:
100% human.
A descendant of David through his father.
A great military leader who defeats Israel’s enemies.
A king who unites the tribes of Israel.
A teacher of Torah who upholds all 613 commandments.
By this measure, Jesus failed: he was never a king, not proven from the Davidic line (especially since the NT claims he had no biological father), and he did not unite the tribes or lead military victories. The NT genealogies try to solve this problem but are inconsistent, and they reflect authors who were largely Greek-speaking and often unfamiliar with Hebrew scripture.
Bar Kokhba, on the other hand, did check some of those boxes. He was a Davidic leader, reclaimed Jewish independence, started preparations for rebuilding the Temple, and actively resisted Roman bans on Torah law. For a time, many rabbis — including the great Rabbi Akiva — supported him as Messiah.

Why Bar Kokhba Was Ultimately Rejected:
When Bar Kokhba was killed in battle, hopes collapsed. In Jewish belief, the Messiah does not die mid-mission, and certainly isn’t resurrected later. The Messiah is supposed to succeed in his lifetime. After Betar’s fall, Jews abandoned the idea that Bar Kokhba was the Messiah, and that expectation remains unfulfilled to this day.

The Bottom Line:
•Jesus didn’t fulfill any messianic prophecy. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

•Bar Kokhba came closer — military leader, Davidic line, Temple restoration — but still failed when he died in battle.

•In Jewish eyes, both flunked. The Messiah isn’t supposed to die and get a “redo.” He’s supposed to win.

So if you’re keeping score: Jesus = failed messiah candidate. Bar Kokhba = closer, but still failed. Jews are still waiting for the real deal.