A Jewish rebellion named after its leader, Bar-Kokhba. It lasted from AD 131 to 135. There were two reasons for the revolt:
The emperor Hadrian made circumcision a crime punishable by death.
He decided to rebuild Jerusalem and erect a shrine to Zeus on the ruins of the temple site. This enraged the Jewish people.
Bar-Kokhba's name means “son of a star.” He was believed to be the “star [that] will come forth from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). Many Jews proclaimed Bar-Kokhba the Messiah (a savior or chosen leader that many Jews were waiting for). Bar-Kokhba used surprise attacks to fight the Romans. This kind of fighting led to huge losses for both Jews and Romans. A Roman general named Julius Severus finally defeated the Jewish resistance.
Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem and renamed it Aelia Capitolina. He resettled it with gentiles and forbade Jews from entering it or they would be killed.