The back story of the Relationship of Rebbe Akiva and Bar Kochba!

 

 Just seven miles from my home in Beit Shemesh lies Churvat Itri — חורבת עתרי, a fascinating archaeological site.

Among its remains are the ruins of a Jewish village from the Second Beis HaMikdash period — including a shul and several mikva’ot.

But what makes this site especially remarkable is that it contains underground hideouts from the Bar Kochba revolt. Many such hideouts have been discovered across the region, but this one is practically in my backyard.

And that leads to a bigger question:

What exactly was the relationship between Bar Kochba and Rabbi Akiva?

First let's talk about Bar-Kochba!

In the early 1960s, archaeologist Yigal Yadin uncovered a collection of 14 letters written during the Bar Kochba revolt (132–136 CE). Some were in Hebrew, some in Aramaic, and some in Greek. Alongside them were about 70 documents belonging to a woman named Babatha, which together provide a vivid picture of the period.

Interestingly, these letters refer to Bar Kochba as בר כוסבה — Bar Kosva, which seems to have been his actual name. Those who learned Sanhedrin 93b will recall that Chazal call him Bar Koziva, meaning “the false one.” more on that later.

From the letters, we see that Bar Kochba was a strong, disciplined leader and a capable administrator. His authority was widely accepted. On the coins he minted, he even referred to himself as “Nasi Yisrael.”

It’s also clear that not all Jewish communities joined the revolt. The Galilee abstained, and so did the people of Tekoa. In fact, three of Bar Kochba’s letters threaten Tekoa’s commanders, demanding they force the local men to enlist — a dynamic that feels surprisingly familiar.

Let's talk about Rebbe Akiva

The Rambam writes in Hilchos Melachim that Rabbi Akiva was second only to Moshe Rabbeinu in Torah greatness. The Gemara in Menachos 29 even describes Moshe Rabbeinu marveling at Rabbi Akiva’s brilliance.

"You have a person like him and you choose to give the Torah through me?"

Rabbi Akiva began learning Torah at age 40, rose to become the Rosh Yeshiva of thousands, and ultimately gave his life al kiddush Hashem under Roman persecution. His neshama was so bound to Torah that any anonymous Mishnah is attributed to him.

But Rabbi Akiva was not only a giant in Torah. The Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 11:3) writes that Rabbi Akiva was

נושא כליו של בר כוכבא — literally, “the arms‑bearer of Bar Kochba.”

He believed that Bar Kochba fulfilled the pasuk “דרך כוכב מיעקב” — a star will emerge from Yaakov. Hence the name Bar Kochba, “son of the star.”

The Rambam writes:

שֶׁהֲרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא חָכָם גָּדוֹל מֵחַכְמֵי מִשְׁנָה הָיָה. וְהוּא הָיָה נוֹשֵׂא כֵּלָיו שֶׁל בֶּן כּוֹזִיבָא הַמֶּלֶךְ. וְהוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר עָלָיו שֶׁהוּא הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. וְדִמָּה הוּא וְכָל חַכְמֵי דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁהוּא הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. עַד שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג בַּעֲוֹנוֹת. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג נוֹדַע לָהֶם שֶׁאֵינוֹ. וְלֹא שָׁאֲלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ חֲכָמִים לֹא אוֹת וְלֹא מוֹפֵת.

Rebbe Akiva thought and held the view that Bar Kochba was Moshiach!

Correcting a Common Misconception

Many secular historians — and this has also seeped into the frum world — try to separate Bar Kochba’s fighters from Rabbi Akiva and his students. They claim the soldiers were not Torah‑observant or connected to the spiritual leadership of the time.

This is simply not true.

The letters discovered by Yadin show soldiers concerned about kashrus, shatnez, and halachic observance. Rabbi Akiva’s talmidim were holy, devoted Torah scholars — and they supported the national struggle for independence.

Anyone who claims Rabbi Akiva fought Roman decrees on Torah study while being disconnected from the national uprising is contradicting the Rambam himself. Rabbi Akiva was actively involved in the revolt. He believed in Bar Kochba. He believed in Jewish sovereignty. He believed in the possibility of redemption.

A Lesson for Today

Bar Kochba was not known for his piety or spiritual refinement. Many rabbis of the time opposed Rabbi Akiva’s support for him. They argued — much like some do today — that the army was too secular, that Bar Kochba didn’t meet their standards, that he wasn’t “one of them.”

Rabbi Akiva saw something different. He saw Bar Kochba’s mesiras nefesh for Am Yisrael. He saw a leader capable of uniting warriors and inspiring a national revival. And that is why he believed Bar Kochba could be Moshiach — despite the opposition.

Chazal teach that the only reason we know Bar Kochba was not Moshiach is because he died. 

Moshiach will not die; he will succeed.