Herodium during the time of the Bar-Kokhba Revolt

For 60 years, most of the period following the First Revolt, Herodium was abandoned, apart from brief periods when a Roman garrison was stationed on the hill-top. During the Bar-Kokhba revolt (132-135 CE) the rebels took over the Fortress-Palace, which stood partly ruined.
Although we have no historical documents relating to the Second Revolt like that of Josephus in the case of the First Revolt, the Bar-Kokhba letters from the Wadi Muraba’at caves in the Judaean desert, and the excavations at the site show that Herodium was an administrative and military center of the Bar-Kokhba state. Letters to Shimon bar Cosba and the “Camp at Herodis” illustrate the activity of Bar Kokhba’s important command-post in the Fortress-Palace, commanded by Yehoshua ben Galgula, and that the site served Bar-Kokhba as an administrative center, governed by Hillel ben Geris.
Excavations in the Fortress-Palace have uncovered various remains from the Bar-Kokhba period, including a large coin hoard and a subterranean tunnel complex, carved out during the revolt (see the separate article below); the tunnel system differs from the typical Bar-Kokhba period systems (in the Judean coastal plain, for example) as it was designed for offensive purposes, and in any case was not used for hiding.

Read more:

• Netzer E., Kalman Y., Porat R., and Chachy R., 2011. “Herodium During the Two Revolts,” A. Tavger, Z. Amar, and M. Billig (eds.) In the Highland’s Depth I, Pp. 59–68. (in Hebrew)

• Milik J. T., 1961. “Textes Hebreux et Arameens”, P. Benoit., J.T. Milik and R.De Vaux (eds.), DJD 2. Pp. 67-205. (see Mur 24: 43,44).