What do the Bar Kokhba rebellion, the protestant reformation, and 9/11 have in common? They are all sometimes interpreted as though they arose entirely from social/economic factors, with only the veneer of genuinely religious motivation.
Which is where Professor Roland Deines’ views on the Bar Kokhba rebellion become very interesting: He makes the connection that the Bar Kokhba revolt arose in the seventh decade after the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. Why would there be an attempt to overthrow the enemies in the seventh decade after the destruction of the temple? Perhaps because of the tradition from Jeremiah that after 70 years restoration would come. So the rebellion represented a firm belief that God’s timing had come, and could be anticipated by human zeal.
It’s definitely worth a read, and I’ll add in the details of the paper, which I read a while ago, when I can find it again.
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