Bar Kokhba Letters

This collection of letters, composed by the Judean leader of the Bar Kokhba revolt, Simeon bar Kosibah, and his associates, deals mainly with the administration of affairs during the rebellion. Many are dispatches to Jonathan (Yehonathan) and Mesabala, bar Kosibah’s spokesmen in ‘En Gedi, to fetch certain persons or goods. One calls for the arrest of a named person. Others deal with ownership of property and provisions. A number of these letters reflect a concern for maintaining Jewish ritual and law, including issues of tithing, and concern with matters of purity. One letter deals with procuring the four species of plants used on the Sukkot holiday. The letters are written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.