Who was Bar Kokhba? The leader of the most turbulent Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire remained in obscurity for thousands of years, but recent archaeological discoveries—ancient coins, attack tunnels used by Jewish fighters, and even battle orders in Bar Kokhba's own handwriting—reveal the true identity of the Jewish folk hero and tell the story of the revolt as never before. The spark that ignited the uproar was the decision by the Roman Emperor Hadrian to obliterate what remained of Jerusalem after its destruction in 70 CE and build a pagan Roman city—Aelia Capitolina—on its ruins. The Jews' furious response to the assault on their holy city erupted into a massive rebellion that wreaked havoc on the Roman army and shook the empire to its core. Especially effective were the guerilla tactics in which the Jewish warriors staged surprise attacks on the Roman soldiers and then retreated out of harm's way to a massive network of underground tunnels prepared especially for this purpose. After more than three years of fierce fighting, Hadrian finally managed to put down the uprising. The punishments that he imposed in revenge were unprecedented in their cruelty. Over half a million Jews were massacred, the practice of the Jewish religion was banned, and Jerusalem was emptied of its Jewish inhabitants and almost forgotten. Almost ...

Concept and screenplay: Ahron Horvitz, Director of the Megalim Institute
Presenter and academic consultant: Dr. Eyal Meiron
Director and producer: Gil Mezuman
Editor and motion graphics: Tamar Gan-Zvi
Production coordinator: Brachah Reich
Production consultant: Avigail Feldman
Cinematographe and Drone photography: Gil Mezuman
Animation and 3D effects: Gabriel Wagon
Narrator: Reuven Miller- Voix by Art & Society
Colorist: Itay Barzilaiy
Mitch Clyman, Muso Productions
Images of Aelia Capitolina: Avitz – Avraham Yizhak Meir
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Assistant cinematographer: Nati Avital, Sifi Barad
Archives
Herzliya Studios
Israel Film Service
In the Footsteps of past, directed by Edgar hirshbein and Rolf Kneller
Produced by the Israel Film Service
Thanks to
Dr. Doron Sar-Avi
Yehoshua Carmel
Israel Antiquities Authority spokesperson
Dr. Oren Ableman, Israel Antiquities Authority
Dr. Joe Uziel, Israel Antiquities Authority
Western Wall Heritage foundation
Israel Museum, Jerusalem