Rabbi Akiva, Bar Kokhba Revolt, and the Ten Tribes of Israel

rabbi akiva book zephyr

Alexander Zephyr grew up in Eastern Europe where he attended law school at the State University of Jurisprudence. He practiced criminal and civil law for several years, until he moved to Canada in 1974.

A gifted researcher and very knowledgeable in both biblical and Talmudic text, Zephyr began writing and publishing articles and essays on Israel and other Judaic topics. He used his talents as a lawyer to present his points and make the necessary arguments to back up his research.

One of the topics that has long fascinated Zephyr is the fate of the “10 lost tribes” of Israel. The Jewish people consisted of 12 tribes, descendants of the 12 sons of Jacob, but in 722 BCE, ten of the tribes revolted against the rulers of Israel, and they were exiled by the Assyrians.

There has been much debate in the Talmud as to the fate of these tribes, and whether they will be reunited with the rest of the Jews during the days of the messiah.

Rabbi Akiva was of the opinion that their exile was a permanent one, and that even after the coming of the messiah they won’t rejoin the Jewish nation.

While researching this topic, Zephyr began to write Rabbi Akiva, Bar Kokhba Revolt, and the Ten Tribes of Israel to gain a better understanding of this great rabbi and this intriguing school of thought. While the lost tribes are not the focus of the story, their story is a theme that runs throughout the book.

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Combining his wealth of scriptural knowledge, with Talmudic and Rabbinical sources, Zephyr tells the climatic story of Rabbi Akiva’s relationship with Bar Kokhba, who was thought by many to be the Messiah. In fact, Rabbi Akiva famously, albeit incorrectly, announced Bar Kokhba as the messiah, which led to the Jewish Revolt against the Romans in 132 BCE.

The book tells of the suffering and tragedy that this mistake caused to the Jewish people, some of the pain and suffering which can still be felt today.

Zephyr goes in depth into the life of Akiva, his relationships with his wives, students, and political leaders of his time. He believes that it is important to learn these stories, which can humanize the scholars from times of the Talmud, and not just rely on the tales we learned as children and young adults.

One lesson that Zephyr wants to teach is that “It is God of Israel who will reveal the Messiah to us. He will wage and fight wars on behalf of His People Israel! Any human attempt to force the hand of God to produce the Messiah or predict the Messianic Time is ultimately doomed to failure’. There is no better way to learn this lesson than by understanding, and learning from, the actions of Rabbi Akiva.

In addition to Rabbi Akiva, Bar Kokhba Revolt, and the Ten Tribes of Israel, Zephyr also authored two more book ” Psalm 83: A New Discovery” and ” State of Israel. Its Friends and Enemies. Prophetic Future”.

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