Which of the common names is: Ben Khosba, Ben Khosba, Bar Khoziba or "simply" Bar Kochba?
LXNUMX B'Omer is at the door and I am selfishly sorry if "as usual" I interrupt the joy of the holiday in Tafeli in the name of the subject of the list - Ben Kusba, Ben Kusba, Bar Khoziba or "simply" Bar Kochba.
I will call him with your permission, and also without your permission, by the name of Ben Kusva, and why? immediately!.
The sources for Ben Kusaba's rebellion, the one that broke out in 132 CE and ended in 135 CE, are not many, compared to, say, the rich and varied testimonies of Joseph ben Mattheyahoo describing what is known as the Great Revolt (73-66 CE).
The evidence of the revolt in question is found in the literature of sages, the coins of the revolt, the bills of the revolt, Roman historiography and Christian-ecclesiastical sources.
And what will we learn from them regarding the name of the leader of the rebellion?
In the legends associated with the rebellion, such as the mythological story about the rooster and the hen for which the sword "Tor Malka" was drawn (Talmud Babli, Gitin XNUMX, p. XNUMX), perhaps one of the strongholds of the rebellion, perhaps it is the Mount of the King, or in Greek - "Gay Basilikie", a mythological figure appears, lest One of the leaders of the rebellion, or the leader in his own right, and his name is "Bar Droma", meaning the southern one, perhaps from Lod. According to the source, Bar Droma's physical abilities are impressive and legendary - he was able to jump the length of a Roman mile (about a kilometer and a half) and hit the Romans. Perhaps a kind of image for the ability of a quick, sudden, surprise attack.
In Toshta Shabbat, chapter XNUMX, halacha XNUMX, Rabbi Yehuda testifies, as one of the leaders of the generation after the rebellion, in connection with the decree of Hadrian, about the origin of the rebellion and his name "Ben Khoziba". The Midrash of the Seder Olam Rabbah (Parasha L.) also calls the rebellion by the name "Ben Khoziba's War".
In the Sanhedrin treatise of the Babylonian Talmud (Tzg p. XNUMX) it is told about the impersonation of the leader of the rebellion as the Messiah and therefore he was executed by the Sanhedrin. The impostor's name was "Bar Khoziba", who, according to the Sanhedrin, made himself king.
In the famous story unfolding of a debate between the sages of the Sanhedrin on the question of whether the leader of the rebellion deserves to be called the Messiah, Rabbi Akiva exhorted on the verse "The way of a star from Jacob" (Bamadbar 17:XNUMX), that is, the parable of Balaam, "The way of a false one from Jacob." Rabbi Akiva Kd Hoh Hami (when he saw) Bar Kozvah, Hoh said: Din is malka Mashia (this is the King of the Messiah" (Yerushalmi Talmud Taaniyot Chapter XNUMX Sah p. XNUMX). It follows from this that his name was "Bar Kozvah" or "False".
We turn to a numismatic source, by nature, which is, in principle, much more reliable than the Talmudic literature. These are the coins of the rebellion, the coin of the leader of the rebellion, whose very minting, whether it is a primary or secondary minting (from existing worn coins), had a demonstrable political and propaganda intention. And let's not forget that these coins were produced and distributed under the instruction and supervision of the leader. And what name appears there? Let's take a look at one of the coins, on which the clear inscription appears - "Shimon bar Kusba the prophet (that is - the president) on Israel". Here, for the first time, a numismatic confirmation appears not only for his name - "Bar Khosba", but also for his first name - "Shimon".
And it is interesting that in a Talmudic tradition (Jerusalem Talmud from Asher Two, Chapter XNUMX Neb, p. XNUMX) it is said: "A coin that rebels (that is, of rebellion) such as Ben Khozabia, is not desecrated (that is, it is forbidden to redeem fruits in it in order to bring them to Jerusalem)." In the Talmudic tradition there is an interesting confirmation of the false coins on the one hand and on the other hand it presents a disapproving criticism of the rebellion.
From here we will move on to the rebellion fees, which are also reliable and trustworthy, and at least in the technical-linguistic aspect. The leader of the rebellion is the one who wrote them and he is the one who signed them. In the lease contract of Eleazar ben Hashiloni from 133 CE, the leader of the rebellion appears in this language: "Shimon ben Kussaba, Nesia (President) of Israel", and at the end he signs as follows: "Shimon ben Kussaba from Mamara", and so in all his deeds, although sometimes he appears by name The private one only - "Shimon".
Interestingly, by the way, and this is what I have been arguing for years, from his studies it is not at all possible to learn about the management of rebellion, war, or battles and at least preparation for military events, which is appropriate to see Ben Khosva as a Roman subcontractor (conductor), perhaps like David at the time under his authority of Achish the King of Gath, who increased his power and status by real estate transactions in the area known as the "Rebellion State".
So, in any case, what is there for us and the name "Bar Kochba"? The hazel is found in the writings of the church father Eusebius, who lived hundreds of years after the revolt, and he writes: "In those days, the Jewish army was led by one man named Bar-Kochba. It means - a star, a man who kills and cheats, who managed to steal their (the Jews') mind, who came down to them like a star from heaven" (Ecclesiastical History 6:XNUMX). It seems that Eusebius used Rabbi Akiva's midrash on the biblical verse in a messianic connection.
Later in his words, Eusebius emphasizes that "Kochba, the duke of the Jewish class, killed the Christians with all kinds of torture...", to teach on the one hand about his trendsetting writing and on the other hand about the rudeness of the leader.
What emerges from all of the above, based on reliability and trustworthiness data, is that "our hero" must be accepted as already a Kusva or the son of a Kusva.
So why does everyone know him anyway and he is already a star? It must be assumed that Ben Khosva's breakthrough into the space of history was already born in Kochba in connection with the growth of the national-Zionist movement. This movement, which drew its chronological strength from the processes of nationalism that plagued Europe towards the second half of the 19th century, and like the other national movements sought figures of heroes from the past in order to turn them into icons of admiration and attachment around factors with emotional flight. One of the prominent heroes in this context was Ben Khosva, and why Bar-Kochva? The reason is copying from European sources, which adopted the name of the leader from Christian letters, the legacy of Eusebius.
At the Second Zionist Congress, in 1898, Max Nordau, Herzl's right-hand man and confidant, delivered a fiery speech entitled - "Muskuljudentum" in German, of course, in which he bravely combined the national revival with the cultural and physical one, and demanded from those present to make unremitting efforts - Tired in order to inculcate among the young especially the revival of the ancient values and the adoption of the heroes of the past such as the Maccabees and Bar Kochba. About two weeks later, inspired by the speech, a Jewish-Zionist sports club called "Bar Kochba Berlin" was founded, and then "Bar Kochba Vienna" and following them the network of clubs spread throughout Europe.
A little later, Shaul Tschernihovsky wrote the song "Bitara" to strengthen the character of Bar Kochva and Levin Kipnis contributed his skills to the children's song "Bar Kochva" about his fight with Arya Kemin Ya'akov in a modern edition, and the rest is history.
And finally - in preparation for the first Maccabiah gathering in 1932, the organizers suggested that the event and the year in general be called Bar Kochba Year, and in the publications it was said that the event would take place 132 centuries after the revolt (we were from XNUMX AD), and from that the immigration to Israel would increase. Well, what is not done and what is not harnessed for the benefit of national enterprises.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
4 תגובות
What is the connection between Bar Kochba and LG Baumer?
Hundreds of thousands come to the grave of Shimon bar Yochai in Lag B'Omer.
I have not heard of a pilgrimage to the grave of Bar Kochba in Lag B'Omer!
This is a twisting of the "holiday" day for understandable reasons to humiliate Rashbi who was a scholar and make the day a day of praise for the warrior he may have been at that time.
In my opinion, the religious aspirations of Judaism should be realized. But it is not worthwhile, to destroy the relevance of Judaism. And carry out regression (degradation to animal sacrifice). Or damage religious buildings. These include adding a national synagogue, a residence for the chief rabbi, and a Jewish museum. That is how a national center would be. May he unite world Jewry. And also prevent the distortion of history in the hands of Muslims.
A bar of stupidity, ignorance, darkness and idolatry.
Soon you will see how many hundreds of thousands of pagans there are in Israel who enjoy special rights