A leader in the war against the Romans (the Great Revolt, 66–70 CE), the commander of the extremist freedom fighters and close to the Sicarii. There is no definite knowledge as to his place of birth. Some believe it to be Gerasa, a Hellenistic city in Transjordan, or possibly Jerash in Judea near Hartuv; others say it is Jorish in Samaria, in the district of his military actions. The name Bar Giora means "son of the convert," indicating that his father was a convert.
At the start of the war he succeeded in inflicting a defeat on the Roman army that retreated from Jerusalem, and this caused a serious blow to Roman rule in all Jewish areas. In the subsequent battle for Jerusalem he was the overall commander and played a major role in the desperate defense of the city. At the end of the war the Romans took him to Rome, where he was executed as being the most important of the Jewish army commanders. Like the other Jewish commanders, he was handicapped in his main purpose by the fratricidal strife that broke out between the various Jewish parties and factions during the war against Rome. Bar Giora fought not only against those who wanted to settle with Rome or were inclined to moderation, but also against the large Galilean party of Zealots led by John of Giscala. This civil strife upset the battle plans of the Jewish fighters and hastened the capture of Jerusalem.
