Zealots

Zealots, Jewish religious-political faction, known for its fanatical resistance to Roman rule in Judaea during the 1st century ad. The Zealots emerged as a distinct political group during the reign (37-4 bc) of Herod the Great. In ad 6, when Judaea was put under direct Roman rule and the authorities ordered a census for purposes of taxation, the Zealots, led by Judas of Galilee, called for rebellion. Acknowledging the authority of the pagan Roman emperor, they argued, would mean repudiating the authority of God and submitting to slavery. An extremist group of Zealots, called Sicarii (“dagger men”), adopted terrorist tactics, assassinating Romans and also some prominent Jews who favoured cooperation with the Roman authority. The rebellion led by the Zealots in ad 6 was quickly put down, and many of them, probably including Judas of Galilee, were killed, but others continued to advocate uncompromising resistance to the Romans. One of Jesus' disciples, Simon, was a Zealot (see Luke 6:15). According to Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian, the Zealots played a major role in inciting and sustaining the general Jewish uprising against the Romans that began in ad 66. Although they continued to attack other Jewish groups, they fought bravely in defence of Jerusalem until its fall in ad 70. Another group of Zealots held the fortress of Masada against besieging Roman troops until ad 73, when they committed suicide rather than surrender.