Of course, not all Zealots were violent in their approach. Make no mistake, the Zealots were violent extremists, militant outlaws, and political revolutionaries with “an insatiable passion for liberty.” (Antiquities 18.1.6)Īccording to John Drane, “their overriding conviction was that they could have no master but God, and for them that implied that driving out the Romans must be a top priority.” (39)

Josephus suggests, however, that their name was a bit of a misnomer, “as if they were zealous in good undertakings, and were not rather zealous in the worst actions, and extravagant in them beyond the example of others.” ( Antiquities 18.1.16) In fact, no Jewish group was as politically motivated or opposed to Rome as the Zealots. It was this resentment and animus towards the Roman occupation that inspired the Zealots to become one of the most violent and aggressive groups in the region. Of course, this begs the question: what were the Zealots so fervent and passionate about?Īlthough they held many religious views with the Pharisees, the Zealots were known more for their hatred of Rome than anything else. Their name, derived from the Greek work zelos, fit the Zealots’ reputation as those with a passion, zeal, or fervor of spirit. Ironically, one of Jesus’ own disciples, Simon the Zealot, was a member of this group before being called to follow Christ. In the first century, The Zealots were a notorious sect of Jewish patriots who sought to overthrow the Roman occupation of Palestine through violence, terror, and political intimidation, often resorting to murder, assassination, and militant action to further their agenda. The fourth group, and the most politically minded and feared among the Jews, were the Zealots. The Essenes, though not mentioned in Scripture, were a third Jewish party and a more monk-like group of aesthetics and celibates who lived in the desert and devoted themselves to the study of the Old Testament. The Sadducees, also mentioned in the gospels, were a more wealthy, aristocratic, and liberal group, known for their denial of the supernatural.

As religious fundamentalists, they were often the most rigid and overbearing, maneuvering to protect their wealth and preserve their political power at all costs, even if it meant blaspheming the Holy Spirit ( Matthew 12:22-29) or partnering with the Romans to have Jesus crucified ( John 18). The Pharisees, who Jesus frequently clashed with and admonished for their legalism and hypocrisy, were fastidious about the Law and its application. The historian Josephus write of four prominent groups:

Zealot jesus