The rabbinic movement's stance on Bar Kokhba revolt is unclear based on seemingly contradictory Talmudic sources.
Regarding the participation and positions of the rabbinic movement, the heirs of the Pharisees, Peter Schäfer noted that the Talmudic literature is not generous in providing information about Bar Kokhba himself.
[2] While it is difficult to infer the rabbis' attitude towards the revolt, there is no doubt that they were strengthened by it and progressed further towards becoming the dominant sect in Judea, a status they finally achieved in the third century.
Joshua Efron argued that this[100] is in order to sever the connection between Bar Kokhba and his rebellious and messianic delusions from the spiritual leaders of the Jewish people.
Joshua Efron believes that it was Maimonides' rationalistic view of the Messianic age and the end of exile that led him to favor the Jerusalem Talmud over the Babylonian.
Some interpret this literally, arguing he must have had a source which has been lost, while others see it as an allegorical expression of Rabbi Akiva's great support for Bar Kokhba.
[12] In the Jerusalem Talmud, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel testifies from first-hand experience about being a child in Betar who survived the revolt's horrors,[12] and Gedaliah Alon wrote that this indicates the Chief Rabbi (Nasi)'s residence was in the besieged city, signaling his support of the revolt.
Oppenheimer believes the sages' support for the revolt was inevitable due to its religious-halachic nature – its causes and consequences (the decree of persecution).
[13] Similarly, Yisrael Friedman Ben-Shalom argues that the meticulous, covert preparations for the revolt and the prolonged resilience against the mighty Roman army necessitated cooperation by the entire nation under unified leadership.
Also, there is no decisive, indigenous testimony opposing Bar Kokhba's leadership and the revolt itself, even after its failure, due to the sages' support.
[15] David Goodblatt [he][16] argues a minority opinion that the sages did not support the revolt, which was actually led by priests rather than Pharisees.
He discounts contradicting Talmudic evidence and relies on numismatic testimony, with one revolt leader being Elazar the Priest.
Schäfer summarizes that active rabbinic participation in the revolt cannot be proven, however likely, and the priesthood must have played a decisive role.
Despite generally supporting the revolt, the sages did not refrain from criticizing Bar Kokhba when he acted improperly in their view.
[10] Many emphasize that the view of Rabbi Akiva, one of the generation's leaders and backbone of Oral Torah with many supporters and disciples, should be weighed against an anonymous sage known primarily for this disagreement.
There is another testimony describing cooperation between the sages and Bar Kokhba on military matters: "Rabbi Yochanan said: The voice of Hadrian Caesar killed eight hundred thousand myriads in Betar.
Rabbi Yochanan said: Eighty thousand pairs of horn blowers surrounded Betar, and each one was in charge of several brigades.
Though parts of this legend are difficult to accept, like riding on a horse and uprootin a cedar, the story's essence is significant.
According to Jewish sources, Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 students who died in a short period between Passover and Shavuot, because they did not show proper respect for one another.
[17] Most researchers argue that since the Geonic period it was accepted in Judaism that Rabbi Akiva's students died at the hands of the Roman army.