A CAVE USED DURING THE BAR KOKHBA REVOLT, as well as other interesting ancient sights of the Judean Plains, are the subject of a travelogue in the Jerusalem Post. Excerpts:

Playing hide and seek
By AVIVA BAR-AM

Take a trip through history in the Judean plains

Sixty-two years had passed since the destruction of the Second Temple and the end of the Great Revolt. The Romans had overcome the zealots at Masada, and quashed a few small Jewish uprisings in the intervening decades. Yet somehow, those stubborn Jews refused to admit defeat. When Emperor Hadrian banned circumcision and decided to erect a pagan temple on the Temple Mount, they knew it was time to take a stand yet again.

Fortuitously, or so it seemed at the time, a charismatic new figure appeared in Judea. We know him as Shimon Bar-Kochba, a soldier of outstanding courage. Wild tales and fantastic legends sprang up about the heroic warrior. It was said that Bar-Kochba breathed fire, could throw catapult stones back at his aggressors, and tested the mettle of his volunteers by having them cut off a finger.

Before going into battle in 132 CE, Bar-Kochba apparently gave orders for the construction of hundreds of underground hideouts in the Judean plains. Quite similar both in structure and in the security measures they contained, they were built throughout the plains that would soon become a bloody battleground.

Only one of these historic hiding caves is wholly safe for visitors - the cave at Hirbet Midras (Madras) in the Adullam Region Nature Reserve. A thrilling experience way off the beaten track, the cave is part of a terrific two-hour route full of enchanting sites. Your walk is through a wilderness of natural foliage, always a delight. And, best of all, it doesn't cost a penny.

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Your first stop on the blue-marked trail is a tour of the hiding caves. A large tree sunk in a hole covers the opening; you walk down steps to view the entrance. I have to warn you: it isn't easy! And it is one-way only (you exit through the bell-shaped cave that is on your right). Note: you must bring one flashlight per person to enter the hiding caves, as the tunnels are pitch black. (The best kind to bring are the ones you wear on your forehead.)

Most of the tunnels connecting the living quarters are quite narrow - and some are very low (40 to 60 centimeters)! Not only did we crawl on all fours, but at one point we lay on our stomachs and pulled ourselves forward with our arms. Every once in a while, we came out into a large chamber, where we were able to stand upright. One room even had wedge-shaped alcoves in the wall where, apparently, the inhabitants raised doves. Those rooms would have been, if not comfortable, at least cool in the summer.

[...]

AT THE beginning of the Bar-Kochba Revolt, it looked as if the Jews actually had a chance of winning - especially after Jewish troops captured Jerusalem along with fortresses and settlements all over Judea in hand-to-hand combat. Hadrian finally became alarmed enough by Jewish success to call in seasoned commander General Julius Severus, who refrained from frontal battle and decided to steadily crumble Jewish resistance.

As the Romans began to get the upper hand, retaking villages, cities and forts, the Jews took shelter underground. Caves structured as these were, with a tiny opening and narrow tunnels, were excellent defensive positions: Soldiers wearing unwieldy coats of armor could only enter one by one.

But the Romans defeated the Jews nevertheless. They discovered the caves, stuffed wet brush into ventilation holes, and set them on fire. Once the men, women and children living in the caves had been smoked out, they were systematically massacred.

The revolt ended in 135 and the toll it had taken was devastating. Whole areas of Judea were devastated, dozens of villages were wiped off the map, and Jewish multitudes had been enslaved.