The Bar Kokhba revolt ends in total catastrophe. Hadrian crushes the revolt with overwhelming force — ancient sources speak of 580,000 killed in battle, whole regions depopulated, 985 villages destroyed. Simon bar Kokhba is killed at Betar in 135 AD. Rabbi Akiva is executed by the Romans with spectacular brutality — his flesh raked with iron combs. Hadrian rebuilds Jerusalem as the Roman city Aelia Capitolina, bans Jews from entering on pain of death, and renames the province Syria Palaestina (the origin of ‘Palestine’). Jewish political nationalism and messianic militarism do not recover as significant movements for nearly 1,800 years — until the 20th century Zionist movement.