Bar Kokhba revolt coinage in the context of "Bar Kokhba revolt"

The Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136 AD), also known as the Bar Kokhba war, the War of Betar, and the Third (or Second) Jewish–Roman War, was the last and most devastating of three major Jewish rebellions against the Roman Empire. The rebels, led by Simon bar Kokhba, succeeded in establishing an independent Jewish state in Judaea that lasted several years. The revolt was ultimately crushed by the Romans, resulting in the near-depopulation of Judea through mass killings, widespread enslavement, and the displacement of much of the Jewish population.

Resentment toward Roman rule in Judaea and nationalistic aspirations remained high following the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple during the First Jewish Revolt in 70 AD. The immediate triggers of the Bar Kokhba revolt included Emperor Hadrian's decision to rebuild Jerusalem as Aelia Capitolina, a Roman colony dedicated to Jupiter, extinguishing hopes for the Temple's reconstruction, as well as a possible ban on circumcision. The rebels used guerrilla tactics and underground hideouts embedded in their villages. 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".