Scienceגרשון בר-כוכבא

Gershon Bar-Kokhva

Gershon Bar-Kokhva is an Israeli military historian who studies warfare in the Second Temple period and the history of the Jewish community in Hebron.

born 1963Military history of Second Temple periodLectures on military heritageCave of the Patriarchs inscriptions research

Occupation: military historian, historian
Education: yeshivat HaDarom, Yeshivat Ḳiryat Arbaʻ, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel

Gershon Bar-Kokhva was born in 1963 in United States

Gershon Bar-Kokhva was born Gershon Kessler in New York in 1963 and moved to Israel in 1970. He grew up in Rehovot. He studied at Yeshivat HaDarom and later at the high school yeshiva in Yad Binyamin.

After high school he studied at hesder yeshivas in Karnei Shomron and in Kiryat Arba. He later earned a master's degree at the Hebrew University in 2001 and completed a doctorate in 2008 on Roman siege warfare in the Great Revolt.

He joined the Armored Corps through the hesder track and became an officer. He left career service as a major commanding a base in the Golan Heights. While serving he changed his surname from Kessler to Bar-Kokhva.

He teaches at Orot Israel College, Efrata College and other institutions, and lectures widely on military heritage. In 2014 he published a book on the Roman siege of Jerusalem with archaeologist Aharon Horowitz. In 2016 he published a book on the inscriptions at the Cave of the Patriarchs.

He lived for many years in the Avraham Avinu neighborhood of Hebron before moving to Revava. He is married to Shlomit, daughter of Moshe Zar, and they have 9 children.

Gershon Bar-Kokhva's life in 6 milestones

1963
Born in New York.
1970
Moved to Israel.
2001
Wrote his master's thesis on Vespasian's campaign to Yodfat.
2008
Completed his doctorate on Roman sieges in the Great Revolt.
2014
Published a book on the Roman siege of Jerusalem.
2016
Published a book on inscriptions at the Cave of the Patriarchs.

Gershon Bar-Kokhva served in Armored Corps

He served in the Armored Corps through the hesder track, became an officer, and ended career service as a major commanding a base in the Golan Heights. In the reserves he was promoted to lieutenant colonel as chief of staff of the 8th Armored Brigade.

Armored Corps