The Bar Kokhba revolt (, Mereḏ Bar Kōḵḇāʾ‎), or the 'Jewish Expedition' as the Romans named it (), was a rebellion by the Jews of the Roman province of Judea, led by Simon bar Kokhba, against the Roman Empire. Fought CE, it was the last of three major Jewish–Roman wars, so it is also known as the Third Jewish–Roman War or, the Third Jewish Revolt. Some historians also refer to it as the Second Revolt of Judea, not counting the Kitos War (115–117 CE), which had only marginally been fought in Judea. The revolt erupted as a result of religious and political tensions in Judea following on the failed First Revolt in 66–73 CE. These tensions were related to the establishment of a large Roman military presence in Judea, changes in administrative life and the economy, together with the outbreak and suppression of Jewish revolts in the diaspora. The proximate reasons seem to be the construction of a new city, Aelia Capitolina, over the ruins of Jerusalem and the erection of a temple to Jupiter on the Temple Mount. The Church Fathers and rabbinic literature emphasize the role of Rufus, governor of Judea, in provoking the revolt. Historian Menahem Mor prefers to attribute the main cause of the revolt to the charismatic and politically messianic nature of Bar Kokhba himself. In 132, the revolt quickly spread from central Judea across the province, cutting off the Roman garrison in Aelia Capitolina. Rufus was attributed with the failure to subdue its early phase; whether he died or was replaced is uncertain. Despite arrival of significant Roman reinforcements from Syria, Egypt, and Arabia, initial rebel victories established an independent state over most parts of the province for over three years, as Bar Kokhba took the title of Nasi ("head of state"). Many Jews regarded him as the Messiah, who would restore their national independence. This setback, however, caused Emperor Hadrian to assemble a large-scale army from across the Empire, which invaded Judea in 134 under the command of General Sextus Julius Severus. This army was made up of six full legions with auxiliaries and elements from up to six additional legions, which finally crushed the revolt. The Bar Kokhba revolt resulted in the extensive depopulation of the Jewish communities of Judea, more so than during the First Jewish–Roman War. Some scholars describe it as a genocide. According to Cassius Dio, 580,000 Jews perished