Bar Kokhba revolt hideout discovered

[guy]

 

An underground hiding complex from the Bar Kokhba revolt has been discovered.
 

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Archaeological excavations at Huqoq near the Sea of Galilee, in which students, local residents and soldiers participated over the past few months, provide a glance at dramatic episodes in the history of the Jewish people: the preparation of shelters in preparation for the Revolt of the Jews against the Romans, led by Bar Kokhba in 132–136 CE.

The excavation also revealed that, as part of the preparations for the First Revolt in 66 CE and the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 CE, the residents of Huqoq converted the water cistern (dug in the Second Temple period) into a hiding complex. In addition, at the time of danger, they broke one of the walls of the mikveh and dug a tunnel into other cavities. Several tunnels allowed maneuvering in narrow low spaces underneath the houses. In this underground system—the largest and most impressive discovered at the Galilee—there are about eight hiding cavities, and the connecting tunnels are dug at 90 degrees, to hamper the heavily armed Roman soldiers chasing the rebels. The excavation also yielded hundreds of broken clay and glass dishes, an impressive ring for a precious stone (the stone itself was not found), and other fascinating finds.

The discovery of the hiding complex can also contribute to a decades-long debate among researchers on whether the Bar Kokhba Revolt reached the Galilee or remained within the confines of Judea and central Israel. Based on different findings, Berger and Shivtiel date the inner parts of the hiding complex to the days of the outbreak of the Second Revolt and consider that several of the ancient facilities were first in use during the First Revolt. “It is not certain that the complex was used for hiding and escaping during the Second Revolt, but it does appear to have been prepared for this purpose,” they say. “We hope future excavations will bring us closer to the answer.”

 

https://m.jpost.com/archaeology/article-792468

 

 

 

Here’s a simplistic (but helpful) explanation of the Bar Kokhba uprising:

 

 

A recent post about the Bar Kokhba revolt:

 

Edited March 18, 2024 by guy