Scrolls from the Son of a Star with General Yadin
Some 60 years after the Roman Emperor Titus destroyed the Temple at Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jews revolted again. Their leader was a man called Bar Kokhba, which means ' Son of a Star.' Eventually he was defeated and killed in the siege at Bethar. Though he was a great hero, he remained a purely legendary figure to the Jews, until 1960.
In that year an archaeological expedition under GENERAL YADIN explored a desert cave in a sheer cliff face, and there discovered scrolls hidden by two of Bar Kokhba's commanders. They were actually written by Bar Kokhba himself: appeals for help and food and instructions about the revolt. Over the centuries they give a vivid picture of the ' King Messiah ' and of his revolt. This programme tells the story of the search for, and finding of, these unique historical documents.
Narrated by MAGNUS MAGNUSSON
Written and directed by IRENE SHUBIK An ISRAELI TELEVISION production