Rome conquered Jerusalem in 70 A.D. ending the national independence gained during the Jewish War (66-70 A.D.). Despite being under Roman control, much of the land in Judea was still in Jewish hands; the Jews were neither exiled nor enslaved. Seventy years after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the Jews in Judea began a war against the Roman Empire (4a). The war lasted for three years from late summer A.D. 132 through late autumn A.D. 135. The war was led by Shimon ben (or Bar) Kosiba, who became known as Bar Kokhba or Son of the Star.
The emperor Hadrian found himself forced to deal with this serious Jewish threat to the Roman Empire. His Pax Romana was threatened by the Jewish War. Hadrian sent armies to Judea, but did not find victory against Bar Kokhbas guerillas. The turning point in the war came when Hadrian called in one of his best generals, Julius Severus, to fight exclusively on the Jewish front. Severus slowly closed in around Bar Kokhbaand without outside help from the Jewish Diaspora which Bar Kokhba was counting onwas able to defeat the Jewish revolt (6d).
As punishment, the Jews were driven from Jerusalem and the gentiles moved in. The city was called Aelia Capitolina and was a pagan citybuilt on the ruins of Jerusalem.
The province was renamed from Judea to Syria-Palaestina to further remove the Jews from their land. Practicing Judaism was outlawed and scholars who supported to rebellion were executed (5b). Soon after the defeat of Bar Kokhba, Hadrian died and Antoninus Pius ascended the throne. Jews slowly regained their cultural and religious freedoms back as Antoninus allowed them to practice Judaism
History