Throughout much of its history, the Jewish homeland (known in antiquity as Judea) was occupied and incorporated into other empires. But the longest period of its occupation occurred, not surprisingly, under Roman rule. First annexed in 63 BC following the Siege of Jerusalem, by the start of the 2nd Century AD, tensions between the Jews and their Roman oppressors had reached a boiling point. Then, in AD 132, one man rose from among the Jewish people to lead them in their fight to oust the Romans for good. His name was Shimon Bar-Kokhba and he and the rebellion he led are the subjects of this week's episode. Tune in to learn more about them!
