Ezekiel 40–48 as a Model for Bar Kokhba’s Title “Nasi Israel”?

Abstract

Nasi Israel was the official title of Shimon Bar Kosiba (Bar Kokhba), the leader of the second Jewish revolt against Rome (132–135/6 CE). The choice of this designation raises important issues pertaining to the way in which Bar Kosiba conceived his role as leader, the extent of his powers and, more generally, the ideological foundations of his regime. It has often been argued that Bar Kosiba’s model of nasi derives from the prophet Ezekiel’s depiction of the ideal Davidic nasi and that, as such, it has a messianic overtone. This article puts forward a slightly different model. It proposes that nasi Israel refers to a figure distinct from the Davidic nasi, which is derived from an interpretation of Ezekiel’s vision of the restored Temple (Ezek 40–48). This title functioned as a programmatic declaration signaling Bar Kosiba’s main objective to rebuild the Temple and renew the sacrificial worship.