or rather Barcochan, a Jewish impostor, whose real name was Akiba; but he took that of Barcochab, which signifies the Son of a Star; in al- lusion to the prophecy of Balaam, "There shall a star arise out of Jacob." He proclaimed himself the Me- shiah; and talking of nothing but wars, victories, and triumphs, made his countrymen rise against the Ro- mans, by which means he was the author of a thou- sand disorders: he ravaged many places, took a great number of fortresses, and massacred an infinite multitude of people, and particularly the Christians. The em- peror sent troops to Rufus, governor of Judea, to sup- press the sedition. Rufus, in obedience, exercised a thousand cruelties, but could not finish his attempt. The emperor was therefore obliged to send Julius Se- verus, the greatest general of that time; who attained his end without a direct battle: he fell on them sepa- rately; cut off their provisions; and at last the whole contest was reduced to the siege of Bitter, in the 18th year of Hadrian. The impostor perished there. This war cost the Romans a great deal of blood.