Akiva Ben Joseph - Relationship With Bar Kochba

Relationship With Bar Kochba

The greatest tannaim of the middle of the 2nd century came from Akiva's school, notably Rabbi Meir, Judah ben Ilai, Simeon bar Yohai, Jose ben Halafta, Eleazar ben Shammai, and Rabbi Nehemiah. Besides these, who all attained great renown, Akiva undoubtedly had many disciples whose names have not been handed down, but whose number is variously stated by the Aggadah at 12,000 (Gen. R. lxi. 3), 24,000 (Yeb. 62b), and 48,000 (Ned. 50a). That these figures are to be regarded merely as haggadic exaggerations, and not, as some modern historians insist, as the actual numbers of Akiva's political followers, is evident from the passage, Ket. 106a, in which there are similar exaggerations concerning the disciples of other rabbis.

The part which Akiva is said to have taken in the Bar Kokba revolt cannot be historically determined. The only established fact concerning his connection with Bar Kokba is that the venerable teacher regarded the patriot as the promised Jewish Messiah (Yer. Ta'anit, iv. 68d), and this is absolutely all there is in evidence of an active participation by Akiva in the revolution. In this regard, Akiva expounded the following verse homiletically: "A star has shot off Jacob" (Numbers 24:17) and so nicknamed the rebel as Kochva, "the star", rather than Kozieva. When Akiva would see bar Kochba, he would say: "Dein hu Malka Meshiecha!" ("This is the King Messiah"; Jerusalem Talmud, Ta'anit 4:8). The numerous journeys which, according to rabbinical sources, Akiva is said to have made, cannot have been in any way connected with politics. In 95–96 Akiva was in Rome (H. Grätz, Gesch. d. Juden, iv. 121), and some time before 110 he was in Nehardea (Yeb. xvi. 7), which journeys cannot be made to coincide with revolutionary plans.

In view of the mode of traveling then in vogue, it is not at all improbable that Akiva visited en route numerous other places having important Jewish communities, but information on this point is lacking. The statement that he dwelt in Gazaka in Media rests upon a false reading in Gen. R. xxxiii. 5, and Ab. Zarah, 34a, where for "Akiva" should be read "UḲba," the Babylonian, as Rashi on Ta'anit, 11b, points out. Similarly, the passage in Ber. 8b should read "Simon ben Gamaliel" instead of Akiva, just as the PesiḲta (ed. S. Buber, iv. 33b) has it. A sufficient ground for refusing credence in any participation by Akiva in the political anti-Roman movements of his day is the statement of the Baraita (Ber. 61b) that he suffered martyrdom on account of his transgression of Hadrian's edicts against the practice and the teaching of the Jewish religion, a religious and not a political reason for his death being given.

Akiva's death, which according to Sanh. 12a occurred after several years of imprisonment, must have taken place about 132, before the suppression of Bar Kokhba's revolt, otherwise, as Z. Frankel remarks, the delay of the Romans in executing him would be quite inexplicable. That the religious interdicts of Hadrian preceded the overthrow of Bar Kokba, is shown by Mek., Mishpaṭim, 18, where Akiva regards the martyrdom of two of his friends as ominous of his own fate. After the fall of Bethar no omens were needed to predict evil days. Legends concerning the date and manner of Akiva's death are numerous, but according to Crawford Howell Toy and Louis Ginzberg in the Jewish Encyclopedia, they must all be disregarded as being without historical foundation.

However Jewish sources relate that he was subjected to a Roman torture where his skin was flayed with iron combs. As he was tortured, astonishingly — especially for the torturers —, he said the Shema prayer and was jubilant. When questioned by his students, he responded that he was worried that he would never be able to serve God "with his entire soul". Now that he was given the opportunity to serve God even while being killed, he felt that he was fulfilling the verse.