Simon Bar Koseba (or Bar Kosevah, Bar Kokhba, or Ben Koseva)

The final named character model we will be producing for our Jewish Revolts against Rome range in 2026 is going to Bar Kokhba, sculpted as always by Alan Marsh. Although we know very little about him, which until recently included his true name, something I will address later, we do know that he led a massive Jewish revolt, the Bar Kokhba War (132-135/136AD*). Although ultimately defeated, he established a short-lived Jewish state within Judaea, making him one of the most successful Jewish rebels who fought Rome. Like other Jewish rebel leaders of the 1^st and 2^nd centuries AD, he was viewed by many as a Messiah, crowning himself as a prince and ruling over this nascent Jewish nation.

The Bar Kokhba War, named for him, was among the most destructive rebellions ever faced by the Roman Empire. According to Cassius Dio 50 towns and 985 villages were destroyed, 580,000 Jews killed, and uncounted more dead from famine and disease. However, it seems likely that the war caused significant losses amongst Roman forces as well as when Emperor Hadrian reported the defeat of the rebellion in the Roman Senate, he did not begin his address with the traditional greeting, "If you and your children are healthy, it is well; I and the legions are healthy”. This notable deviation from the norm is highly indicative of extremely heavy Roman losses during the war. 

Simon Bar Koseba was to be killed in the Siege of Betar, likely when Roman troops overran the fortified city. According to Rabbinic legend his death led directly to the end of the revolt, although it is unclear whether fighting continued elsewhere or if rebel resistance collapsed following his death. What seems clear though from this and other surviving snippets of evidence, is that Bar Koseba was no armchair general. He was evidently an inspiring military leader, able to hold together what appears to have been a fractious collection of factions in the face of the Imperial war machine of Rome for three years.

Yet despite his historical importance it was not until the chance discovery of the documents preserved within the Cave of Letters in the 1960s that this man’s actual name was recovered. Although there is still debate over his name, it is probable that his original name was Bar Koseba, perhaps indicative of his father’s name or his own birthplace.

When putting together the design brief for Alan Marsh to sculpt this model from, I wanted to show Bar Koseba as an inspiring battlefield commander, someone who led from the front. I also wanted to depict him how I imagine he looked during his final battle at Betar, surrounded by his foes but indomitable to the end. In the absence of any sort of evidence about his appearance, I ended up drawing inspiration from the film “Gladiator”, combining the style of Maximus with what we know about actual Jewish rebel equipment (something I have talked about in previous blog posts). Hence he is wearing captured Roman equipment, combined with the sort of leather equipment that could be crafted locally.

*Historians know little about the Bar Kokhba War, including exactly when it ended.