132 CE
The year the Bar Kokhba revolt erupted in Judea, the last major Jewish uprising against Roman rule, triggered by Emperor Hadrian's decision to build a pagan city on the ruins of Jerusalem and his reported ban on circumcision.
Conflict & Revolt
- Simon bar Kokhba led a massive Jewish revolt against Roman rule in Judea, initially achieving significant military success and establishing an independent Jewish state that would last approximately three years.
- The revolt was sparked by Emperor Hadrian's plans to refound Jerusalem as a Roman colony named Aelia Capitolina and to build a temple to Jupiter on the site of the destroyed Jewish Temple.
- Bar Kokhba was hailed by the influential Rabbi Akiva as the Messiah, lending powerful religious authority to the rebellion and galvanizing widespread Jewish participation.
- The revolt would ultimately be crushed by Roman forces by 135 CE, resulting in catastrophic Jewish casualties, the depopulation of Judea, and Hadrian's renaming of the province to Syria Palaestina.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 278 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Society & Population
- The global population is estimated to have been approximately 257 million.